
Class p ^ ^f 



Book . C ^: HjJL 
Copyright N^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



mi^^jm m: 




SKY LINE OF CINCINNATI 



THE 

CITIZENS BOOK 



EDITORS 
CHARLES R. HEBBLE, 

Manager, Civic and Industrial Department, Cincinnati Chamber of 

Commerce 

FRANK P. GOODWIN, 

Director of Vocational and Civic Service, Cincinnati Public Schools 



Published Under Auspices of the 
CINCINNATI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 




CINCINNATI 

STEWART & KIDD COMPANY 

1916 






Copyright, 1916, 
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce 




APR 12 1916 



^Cl,A428479 




THIS IS A BOOK FOR THE CITIZEN 

FOR THE CITIZEN WHO WOULD KNOW WHAT HIS CITY WAS, 
WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT BECAME SO; FOR THE CITI 
ZEN WHO WANTS HIS CITY TO GROW BETTER, WHO 
HAS IDEALS FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT, OR WHO 
IS SEEKING FOR SUCH IDEALS; FOR THE 
CITIZEN WHO IS WILLING, WORKING 
WITH OTHERS, TO HELP MAKE CIN- 
CINNATI A COMMUNITY WHICH 
CONTRIBUTES THE GREATEST 
POSSIBLE GOOD TO EACH 
OF ITS MEMBERS. 



Pref 



ace 

Cities become greater as their people take intelligent interest 
in public affairs. 

While interest may be aroused through curiosity, it becomes 
intelligent interest only when developed by the aid of knowledge. 

But people have found great difficulty in learning the facts 
about their city, its community life, its government, its insti- 
tutions. 

It is to furnish a source of such information that this book 
has been prepared. It contains much that can not be found in 
print elsewhere. It has been produced by the cooperation of 
the Chamber of Commerce, the Public Schools, and the con- 
tributors who wrote the original drafts of many of the chapters. 

In its preparation an effort has been made to use Cincinnati 
as a type of community life. Underlying principles and con- 
structive methods are discussed. The obligations of the citizen 
to the city, as well as those of the city to the citizen, are set 
forth. 

Special effort has been made to secure accuracy of state- 
ment and to avoid ambiguity. Some of the chapters appear 
almost as originally written by their contributors; others have 
been abridged, or amplified, or materially modified both in 
subject matter and treatment, to conform to the general plan 
of the book. 

Among those to whom the editors are deeply indebted for 
contributions, suggestions, and criticisms are the following, 
without whose help this book would have been impossible: 

N. M. Fenneman, 

Professor of Geology and Geography, University of Cincinnati. 

Miss Florence Wilson, 

Teacher, Cincinnati Public Schools. 

L. C. Grant, 

Director for the Immigrant Welfare Committee. 

Dr. J. H. Landis, 

Health Ofificer. 

5 



PREFACE 

H. S. Morse, 

l^irector, (."incinnati Bureau of Municipal Research. 

Col. Wm. E. Copelan, 

Chief of PoHce, Cincinnati. 

Bert L. Baldwin, 

Mechanical Engineer, Former Superintendent Cincinnati Water Works. 

Miss Lucia Neare, 

(iraduate Student, University of Cincinnati. 

E. D. Roberts, 

Assistant Superintendent, Public Schools. 

N. D. C. Hodges, 

Librarian, Cincinnati Public Library. 

Walter H. Aiken, 

Director of Music, Public Schools. 

William H. Vogel, 

Director of Art, Public Schools. 

Miss Esther F. Volkert, 

Student, University of Cincinnati. 

J. D. McGee, 

Instructor in Economics, University of Cincinnati. 

Alfred Bettman, 

Attorney-at-Law, Former City Solicitor. 

C. O. CjArdner, 

.'\ssistant Professor of Political Science, University of Cincinnati. 

Herbert F. Koch, 

Student, University of Cincinnati. 

W. C. Culkins, 

Executive Secretary, Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. 

Walter A. Knight, 

.Attorncy-at-I.a\v, ex- President Federated Improvement Associations. 

Howard Swan, 

Litterateur. 

6 



PREFACE 
Walter A. Draper, 

Vice-President, Cincinnati Traction Company. 

John E. Lathrop, 

/ Director of Exhibits, The American City Bureau, New York. 

If it serves to quicken public spirit and to stimulate a stronger 
desire for cooperation, if it helps to bring about a greater feel- 
ing of personal responsibility, this book will fulfill its mission. 

The Editors. 

January 15, 1916. 



Contents 

— o — 

FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY LIFE 

Chapter I — The Geography of Cincinnati page 

Surrounding Ri:(;ion, 19 

Communications. 20 

Site, - - - - 20 

Influence of Environment, - - - - 21 

Chapter II — The Settlement of Columbia 

Benjamin Stites in the Miami Country, - - 24 

The Miami Purchase. 25 

The Founding of Columbia, - - - - - 27 

Food Supplies, ------- 29 

Church and School, - - - - - - - 29 

Chapter III — The Founding of Losantiville 

The First Boatload, ------ 31 

The Denman Purchase, - - - - - -31 

Denman, Patterson, Filson, and Ludlow, - 32 
The Landing AT Losantiville, - - - -33 

The Survey of the Town, 33 

The Apportionment of Lots. 34 

Primitive Cincinnati, ------ 35 

The First Settlers, ------ 36 

Food, Utensils, and Clothinc;, - - - - 37 

Primitive Exchange, ------ 37 

Early Schools, - - 37 

The First Newspaper, ------ 38 

The First Church and the First Pastor. - - 40 

The First Government, - - - - - - 41 

Fort Washington, ------ 42 

9 



CONTENTS 
Chapter IV— Pioneer Life 



pa(;e 



Dr. Daniel Drake, 44 

Removal of the Drake Family to Kentucky, - 45 

Building the Cabin, ------ 45 

Clearing and Planting, ----- 45 

Boys' Work, -------- 47 

Corn and Its Uses, ------ 47 

The Harvest Time, - - - - - - - 48 

Pumpkin and Truck Patch, . . - . 48 

Caring for the Stock, ------ 48 

Building Fences, ------ 49 

Sugar Making, ------- 49 

Household Duties, ------ 50 

Washday, -------- 50 

Home-Made Clothing, - - . . - 51 

Barter, Salt and Whiskey, - - - - - 52 

Health, -.--..-- 52 

Danger from the Indians. ----- 53 

Education, -------- 53 

Going to Church, - - 54 

Social Meetings, ------ 54 

Government, ------- 55 

"The Good Old Times," 55 

Chapter V— The People of the City 

The Early Residents, ------ 56 

The Coming of the Germans, - - - - 57 

The Percentage of Foreign Born, - - - 58 

The Newer Immigration, ----- 58 

Needs of Immigrants, . . _ - 59 

Transportation and Distribution, - - 59 

Employment of Immigrants, . - - 60 

American Standardization of Living, - - 60 

Savings, Investments, and Credit, - - 60 

Education, - - - - - - - 61 

Naturalization, ------ 62 

Delinquents, Dependents, and Defectives, - 63 



10 



CONTENTS 

PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY 

Chapter VI — The Public Health ,,„;,, 

Health Departments, . . . . . 67 

United States Public Health Service, - - 68 

State Boards of Health, - . - . 68 

Cincinnati Department of Health, - - 68 

Medical Inspection and Relief, - - 69 

Sanitary Inspection, ----- 70 

Food Inspection, ------ 70 

Laboratory, - - - - - - - 72 

Tube;rculosis Dispensary, - - - - 72 

Vital Statistics, - - - - - - 73 

Hospitals, ------- 73 

Anti-Tuberculosis League, - - - - 74 

Water Supply, - - - - - - 75 

Disposal of Wastes, - - - - - - 77 

Sewerage, - 77 

Garbage Disposal, ------ 80 

Street and Sewer Cleaning and Refuse Dis- 
posal, ------- 80 

Smoke Abatement, - - - - - - - 81 

Housing Conditions, ------ 83 

Duty of the Public, ------ 84 

Chapter VII — ^The Police Department 

Membership, 86 

Organization, - - - - - - - - 87 

Duties of thic Police, 89 

Duties of the Public, - - - - - - 91 

Chapter VIII — Fire Prevention and Extinction 

Fire Loss, -------- 92 

Fire Insurance, 93 

Fire Prevention, --.--_ 93 

The Commissioner of Buildings, - - - - 94 

Fire Prevention Laws, 94 

The State Fire Marshal, ----- 95 

City Fire Department, - . . - . 95 

Fire Department Inspections, - - - - 97 

High Pressure Water System. - - - . 98 

Duty of the Public, ------ 93 

Outline on Fire Prevention, - - - . 99 

11 



CONTENTS 

Chapter IX — The Commissioner of Buildings and 

His Work ^,,^^ 

Duties of the Commissioner of Buildings, - - 104 

The Building Code, --.-.. 105 

Chapter X — Dependency and Delinquency 

Causes of Poverty, - - - - - - 107 

Methods of Charity, ----.. 108 

Philanthropic Organizations, . . _ . 108 

Prevention of Crime, - - - - - HO 

The New Idea, - - - - - . - 112 

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES 
Chapter XI— Education 

Early Private Schools, - . . . . 115 

The Beginning OF Public Schools, - - - 116 
The Beginning of Woodward and Hughes High 

Schools, - - - - - - - 117 

Our Educational Renaissance, - - - - 117 

Kindergartens, - - - - - - - 118 

Elementary Schools, ---... us 

The High Schools, - - - - - - 120 

Evening Schools, 123 

Continuation Schools, - - - - - 124 

Social Centers, ---.-.. 125 

Vocational Service, - - - - - - 125 

Civics, -------.. 127 

The University of Cincinnati, - - - - 128 

Administration, - - - - - - - 131 

The Parochial Schools, - - - - - 132 

Private Schools, - - - - - - - 133 

Chapter XII— The Public Library 

History, -------- 135 

Resources, .---.-.. 135 

Agencies for Distributing Books. - - - 136 

Methods, 136 

The Blind, - - - - - - - - 137 



12 



CONTENTS 

Chapter XIII — Art i'm.k 

The Art Museum, - - - - - - - 138 

Cincinnati Artists, ------ 140 

Present Art Associations. ----- 140 

RooKWOOD Pottery, ------ 140 

The Omo Mechanics' Institute, . - - - 140 

The Public School, - - - - - - 141 

Importance OF Art Instkuction, - - - - 141 

Chapter XIV— Music 

The First Singing Mas'hcr, - - - - 143 

The First Publication, - - - - - - 143 

Early Singing Societies, - - - - - 143 

Orchestra and School Music, - - - - 144 

Music Hall, ------- 144 

The College of Music, - - - - - - 144 

The Conservatory of Music, - - - - 14ri 

The Cincinnati Music Fkstivals (May Frstivals), 146 

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, - - 147 

Piano Teaching in thr Schools, - - - - 148 

School Orchestras, ------ 148 

Music in the Community, ----- 148 

Chapter XV— Recreation 

Why Parks and Playgrounds are Needed, - 150 

Playgrounds AND Juvenile Delinquency. - - 151 

Playgrounds and Social Standards, - - 152 

Supervision of Playgrounds, - - - - 152 

Development of Playgrounds in Cincinnati. - 153 

Commercial Recreation, - - - - - 153 

Athletic Fields, - - - - - - - 154 

Parks AND BouL!-: yards. - - - - - - 155 

The Future, - - - - - - - 156 

BUSINESS INTERESTS 

Chapter XVI^The Early Development of Indus- 
try AND Commerce 

The Beginnings OF Commerce, - - - - 15M 

The Beginnings OF Industry. , - - - - 160 

Cincinnati IN 1815 - - - - - - - 160 

13 



CONTENTS 

I'Al.K 

(Cincinnati's OppoRTUNiTiiis IX 1817, - - - 162 

TiTK BeGIXXIXG OF StFAMHOAT Xa VK.ATION, - - 163 

Canals, . . i64 

Highways, - - - - - - - - 165 

Manufacturixg, - - - - - - - 167 

Early Railroads, ------- 167 

CiNCiNNx\Ti Southern Railway, - - - - 171 

Chapter XVII Present Day Industry and Com- 
merce 

Diversity OF Max UFACTURK, - - - - - 174 

Labor, - - - - - - - - - 176 

Fuel AND Power, - - - - - - - 177 

Transportation (Railroad), - - - - 179 

Transportation (Water), - - - - - 180 

Distribution Facilities, - - - - - 181 

The Future, - - - - - - - - 181 

Chapter XVIII — Civic and Commercial Organiza- 
tions 

Cincinnati Chamber of Co.m.mekce, - - - 186 

Welfare Associations, - - - - - - 188 

Federated Improvement Associatiox, - - 188 

The Business Men's Club, - - . - - 19() 

The Cincinnati Woman's Ci.iii, - - - - 190 

The City Club, - - - - - - - 190 

The Bureau of Municipal Ri;si-.arcii, - - 191 

The Woman's City Club, - - - - - 191 

Other Organizations, - - - - - 191 

Influence ox Community Lifj:, - - - - I'M 

Chapter XIX— Public Utilities 

Characteristics, - - - - - - - 193 

Classifications, - - - ,- - - - 194 

Public Nature of Plbi.ic Utiijth.s, - - - 195 

Service AND Fares, - 196 

Public ("ontrol, ------- 196 

Franchises, - 197 

Waticr Works. ------- 198 

Strei:t Railroads, - - 198 

Gas, - - - - 202 

14 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Electricity, .-.--.-- 203 

Telephones, ------- 204 

Telegraph, -------- 204 

Terminal Utilities, ------ 205 

Rapid Transit, 205 

GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES 

Chapter XX — The Municipal Government 

Relations Between City and State. - - - 209 

Cincinnati's Form of Government, - - - 210 

Federal Form, ------- 210 

Commission Form, - - - - - - - 211 

Commission-Manager Form. - - - - 211 

Municipal Home Rule, - - - - - - 211 

Municipal Charters, - - - - - - 212 

The Organs of Government, - • - - - 213 

Council, - 213 

Committees, - 214 

Initiative and Referendum, - - - 214 

The Mayor, - - - - - - - 215 

The Department of Public Service, - - 216 

The Department of Public Safety, - - 216 

The Board of Park Commissioners, - - 218 

The Board of Health, 219 

The Trustees of the Sinking Fund. - - 219 

The Civil Service Commission, - - - 220 

The Municipal Court, - - - - 221 

Municipal Reference Bureau, - - - 221 

Duty of the Public, ------ 222 

Chapter XXI — Municipal Finance 

The Budget, ------- 225 

Preparation of the Budget, ----- 226 

The County Budget Commission, - - - 227 

Sources of Revenue, ------ 228 

Determination of the Tax Rate, - - - 229 

Other Municipal Revenues, ----- 229 

Bond Issues, 230 

The Sinking Fund, - - - - - - - 231 

Municipal Financial Offk i;rs, - - - - 231 

15 



CONTENTS 
THE FUTURE CITY 

Chapter XXII — City Planning pace 

Why Needed, 237 

What Cincinnati Has Done, - - - - 237 

The City Planning Commission, - - - - 238 

The Development of Public Spirit, - - - 239 

City Planning Should Be Continuous, - - 240 

Fundamental Principles, - - - - - 240 

What City Planning Should Provide, - - - 241 

City Planning Is Evolutionary, - - - 241 

FUTIRE PoSSIRILITlh:), 242 



16 



Foundations of Community Life 



CHAPTER I 
The Geography of Cincinnati 

Surrounding Region. — North of Cincinnati for several hun- 
dred miles extends a nearly flat plain, once well forested. It is 
cut into hills at certain parts, always near the larger streams. 




IN EARLY TIMES, A CENTER OF FLOUR MANUFACTURE 

This plain is I he eastward extension of the chief farminii, dis- 
trict of the United States. 

For an equal distance to the south is a hilly country sur- 
rounding the Blue Grass Region, an oval area forty to sixty 
miles in diameter, with a niiidh' rolling surface and very 
fertile soil. 

The forests of these areas, once containing much hicki^ry, 
made Cincinnati a leading center of buggy manufacture. This 
city was even then an important hardwood market, but has 
now become one of the greatest hardwood markets in the United 
States. The local supply of hickory and oak has been exhausted, 
but th(! great hardwood forests of the South find their outlet 

19 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

in Cincinnati. What is called mast, consisting of acorns, hickory 
nuts, and other small nuts, and later the corn raised in this 
region, made Cincinnati a center of pork production. In a 
similar way the large production of grain made it early a center 
of flour milling and whiskey distilling. 

Communications. — -The Ohio River is the natural highway 
of Cincinnati. The city is situated at the crossing of the river 
by a north and south land route, comprising the Licking Valley 
to the south and Mill Creek and Miami Valleys to the north. 
This line of valleys caused, in succession, a concentration of 
Indian trails, then of wagon roads, finally of canals and rail- 
roads. No other equally favorable north and south route 
crosses the Ohio Riv er. 




THE OHIO, A NATURAL HIGHWAY, WHICH MAKES COAL 
TRANSPORTATION SO CHEAP 



Within the area adjoining Cincinnati there is little of mineral 
resources except clay for brick, building stone, sand, and gravel 
for local use; but the presence of the Ohio River makes coal 
transportation so cheap and easy that the coal fields of Penn- 
sylvania, West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky, producing the 
finest coal in the United States, may be regarded as part of its 
environment. 

Site. — A plateau about 900 feet above sea level is trenched 
by the Ohio River to 430 feet above sea level. This trench has 
steep bluffs, the sides generally less than a mile apart, but at 
the point where the city stands the blulifs are more than two 
miles apart. The Little Miami River, Mill Creek, and Duck 
Creek occupy much broader and shallower trenches. These 

20 



THE GEOGRAPHY OF CINCINNATI 



were made before the glacial period, when the chief streams 
flowed in different beds from those now occupied by them. 
The bluffs of these trenches are cut into hills by ravines or 
valleys. Back a few miles from the bluff's the upland is nearly 
level. 

Within these trenches are terraces of sand and gravel. On 
such a terrace stands the business section of Cincinnati, 100 
feet above the river, but still 300 feet below the adjacent up- 
lands. These uplands in recent years have been made into the 
residence sections of the city. As elsewhere, the bluffs are 
scalloped by side valleys which subdivide the plateau sections 
of the city. 

Influence of Environ- 
ment.— The peculiar fea- 
tures of the site are the 
cause of much that is dis- 
tinctive in the plan of Cin- 
cinnati and its daily life. 
The location of the first 
roads to distant villages, 
Gilbert Avenue, Montgom- 
ery Road, Madison Road, 
Reading Road, Vine Street 
(Carthage Pike), and Har- 
rison Avenue, were deter- 
mined by the location of 
side valleys. Many villages, 
i n cl uding Walnut Hills, 
Woodburn, Evanston , 
Avondale, Corryville, and 
Westwood, grew up along 
these roads. The slope of 
the steep bluffs overlooking 
the city has almost prohib- 
ited road making at certain 

points, with the result that these have been but sparingly oc- 
cupied by homes of a humble sort. In some places where 
valleys do not furnish an easy grade, the traffic up and down 
these slopes is by inclined planes. 

One of the distinctive features of Cincinnati is its origin in 
a great number of independent communities or villages, each 

21 




SOME TRAFFIC UP THE SLOPES IS BY 
INCLINED PLANES 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

occupying its own hilltop or valley, and separated from its 
neighbors by topographical conditions peculiar to the locality. 
The former villages, now a part of the city, include Clifton. 
Mt. Auburn, Walnut Hills, Price Hill, Westwood, Hyde Park, 
Evanston, Pleasant Ridge, Cumminsville, Brighton, Columbia, 
and others. An inheritance from this condition of separate 
communities is the large number — forty or more — of local im- 
provement associations which are formulating and expressing 
public opinion. 

A further influence of the peculiar topography of Cincinnati 
is found in the extraordinary number of large and beautiful 
private grounds surrounding suburban homes. Although the 
lower section of the city gradually became crowded with busi- 
ness houses, yet above and beyond the bluffs there was no lack 
of room. But much of the area was dissected by ravines, mak- 
ing it difficult to construct streets. Without streets regularly 
platted small lots could not be laid out. This led naturally to 
the building of residences with large grounds. With increasing 
density of population, new streets have been graded, and many 
of the old homesteads have been subdivided. 

The peculiar character of the city's parks is determined by 
the same principle. Eden Park, Burnet Woods, and the Uni- 
versity campus occupy areas of deep and beautiful ravines. 
The ultimate park plan includes the steep slopes of the now 
unsightly bluffs, and the finished plan will make Cincinnati 
unique among cities of the United States. 

The lower portion of the city east of Mill Creek Valley 
(about four square miles) is still far too large to be used exclu- 
sively for business. As a residence district, it is decadent. The 
price of ground, however, is much too high to admit of private 
yards. Much of this area is therefore occupied by buildings, 
two to four stories high, the first floor being used for small 
stores and shops and the upper floors for homes. Residence is 
much congested in this part of the city. The main business of 
the city is greatly congested within a small downtown district 
which has no natural limits. The streets within this district 
are among the most crowded of any in the United States. 

Encircling the greater part of the city is a strip of low- 
ground composed of all or parts of several valleys, the Ohio 
Valley on the south, the Little Miami Valley on the east, the 
Mill Creek Valley on the west, and a preglacial valley connect- 

22 



THE GEOGRAPHY OF CINCINNATI 

ing the two latter, and extending through Norwood and the 
northern part of Cincinnati. Manufacturing tends more and 
more to occupy this low strip. The railroads are necessarily 
there also. The lower part of Mill Creek Valley is in part 
occupied by railroads and factories and in part is waste ground. 
It is adapted by nature for the development of a great river 
harbor. 



23 



CHAPTER II 

The Settlement at Columbia 

Benjamin Stites in the Miami Country. — ^The founding of 
Cincinnati and its early growth were both a part of the great 
westward movement which was made possible by the defeat of 
the French under Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham in 1759. 
That event opened up all the country formerly controlled by 
the French. It made possible the movement of English-speaking 
people across the Appalachian Mountains to establish new set- 
tlements within the Ohio River basin. Within a very few years 
after the Treaty of Paris in 1763 the backwoodsmen of the 
Alleghanies were building their log cabins on the Tennessee 
headwaters, and were cutting a bridle path through the wilder- 
ness beyond to the land of promise in Kentucky. Thirteen 
years afterward these early Kentuck\' settlements had de- 
veloped into prosperous and permanent communities, even 
before the New Englanders had built Campus Martins (now 
Marietta) at the mouth of the Muskingum, and before the New 
Jerseymen, under the lead of Symmes, Stites, and Denman, 
began to occupy the Miami country. The Kentuckians were 
thus in a position to furnish substantial aid to the Ohio pioneers 
who built their first cabins between the Big and Little Miami 
Rivers. 

In the same year that the famous ordinance prov^iding for 
a government of the territory northwest of the Ohio was passed, 
a certain brave frontiersman, Benjamin Stites, of Red Stone, 
now Brownsville, Pennsylvania, took the leading part in an 
adventure in the western wilderness that led to the founding of 
a second group of settlements north of the Ohio River. The 
Kentucky settlements already had become sufhciently populous 
and so prosperous as to be able to purchase products of older 
communities in considerable quantities, and traders from the 
Ohio headwaters in western Pennsylvania had begun to find it 

24 



THE SETTLEMENT AT COLUMBIA 

profitable to ship flatboat loads of merchandise to Limestone 
(now Maysville), to be transported thence to the settlements 
in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky. 

Stites, a typical American frontiersman of great strength and 
courage, and full of energy, was one of these flatboat traders. 
He was a native of New Jersey. While 3'oung he had emigrated 
to western Pennsylvania, and had taken an active part in the 
Indian wars and already had become a captain of militia. 

On one of his trading expeditions he carried the goods which 
he had for sale a few miles into the country from Limestone to 
the village of Washington, where friends from his native town 
had settled some time before. Now at that time the Indians 
were very troublesome to the Kentucky settlements. Just be- 
fore his arrival a band of savages had come down from their 
Indian villages in the upper Miami Country, crossed the Ohio 
at the mouth of the Licking, invaded the settlements in the 
neighborhood of Washington, and carried off several valuable 
horses belonging to the settlers. Stites was selected as leader 
of a party to go in pursuit of the Indian horse thieves. The 
trail of the Indians led them down the Ohio River to a point 
just below where the town of Augusta now stands. Here the 
Indians had constructed a raft, crossed the river, and made for 
their villages near the headwaters of the Miami Rivers. Stites 
and his party followed the example of the Indians, crossed over 
to the Indian side of the river, pursued the trail up the Little 
Miami River about seventy miles, and finally reached Old 
Chillicothe (now Old Town), an Indian village three miles north 
of where Xenia now stands. Stites and his band neither caught tht- 
Indians nor recovered their horses; but the expedition revealed 
to the frontiersman some very beautiful scenery and large tracts 
of rich soil. He determined to possess part of that fine Miami 
Country, and himself to found a settlement there. He therefore 
closed out his business in Kentucky, proceeded to New York, 
where Congress was then in session, and began negotiations for 
the purchase of land in the Miami country. 

The Miami Purchase. — As Stites was neither prominent nor 
rich, it became necessary for him to join with some person of 
character and influence who would take the lead in promoting 
the deal. He was fortunate in finding such an individual in the 
person of John Cleves Symmes, at that time a member of Con- 
gress from Trenton, New Jersey. 

25 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Stites told Symmes of the richness and beauty of the Miami 
Country. He unfolded to him his plan of purchasing a larg-e 
tract of land between the two Miamis and founding a settle- 
ment there. Symmes soon became intensely interested, and in 
the summer of 1787, while the Constitutional Congress was still 
sitting at Philadelphia, and while the Ordinance of 1787 was 
under consideration at New York, he, with five companions, 
took a trip to the Miami Country and descended the Ohio as 
far as the falls. Symmes returned to the East as enthusiastic 
as Stites, and proceeded to organize a company for the pur- 
chase of land and the colonization of the Miami Country'. 

Symmes began his negotiations on August 29, 1787. This 
he did by sending a memorial to Congress asking for the loca- 
tion of lands between the Great Miami and Little Miami Rivers. 
The original schemQ contemplated the purchase of two million 
acres, but the survey included ultimately only about si.x hundred 
thousand acres. It comprised, however, all the territory be- 
tween the Miamis as far north as where the town of Lebanon 
now stands. 

Symmes, in 'the meantime, feeling sure that negotiations 
would terminate with satisfaction to himself, began to adver- 
tise lands and make grants conditioned on the completion of 
his contract with Congress. He promised to give lot No. 29 in 
each township for purposes of religion. Schoolmasters capable 
of discharging with propriety the duties of instructors were 
promised the free use and benefit in each township of lot No. 
16. One complete township was set aside for the establishment 
of a college. Purchasers had the privilege of selecting their 
own sites, and were to pay one dollar per acre, subject to re- 
duction for bad land and incidental charges. 

Without waiting for the completion of his contract, which 
in fact was not effected until in September, 1794, Symmes left 
that matter with Jonathan Dayton, and in July, 1788, with 
fourteen four-horse wagons and sixty people, set out for the 
West. He and his party were nearly a month in traversing the 
miserable mud road that led through an almost uninhabited 
country from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Fortunately, no 
mishaps were encountered greater than the breaking of several 
axletrees. Symmes and his party reached Limestone early in 
September. There they lingered to await the arrival of troops 
that were to protect the settlement from the Indians. 

26 



THE SETTLEMENT AT COLUMBIA 

The Founding of Columbia. — While Symmes thus delayed, 
Benjamin Stites was active in establishing the first settlement 
in the Miami Country. After Symmes had commenced nego- 
tiations for the purchase of land, he sold ten thousand acres to 
Stites in the southeastern part of the purchase, bordering on the 
Little Miami and the Ohio rivers. It was here that Stites 
determined to found his colony. 

During the early autumn of that year (1788), they were 
busy sawing out lumber and making arrangements for the im- 
mediate erection of shelter for the colonists. On November 16, 
they left Limestone. For two days they floated between the 
forest-covered banks of the Ohio, and at daybreak of the 18th 
arrived at the mouth of the Little Miami. Three men then 




SITE OF THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT OF COLUMBIA 

went cautiously forward in a canoe to reconnoiter and see if 
Indians were in the neighborhood of the present settlement. 
If so, they were to signal the flatboat to keep near the Kentucky 
shore. No Indians were found. The canoe was therefore put 
to shore about three quarters of a mile below the mouth of the 
Little Miami. The flatboat with its little band of pioneers soon 
followed. And here was begun Columbia, the first settlement 
in the Miami Country, about where East Columbia now stands. 

According to Ezra Ferris, the party, "after making fast the 
boats, ascended the steep bank and cleared away the under- 
brush in the midst of a pawpaw thicket, where the women and 
children sat down. They next . . . placed sentries at a 
small distance from the thicket, and having first united in a 
song of praise to Almighty God, . . . upon their bended 
knees they ofifered thanks for the past, and prayer for future 
protection." 

This resolute band of settlers who braved the dangers of the 

27 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



wilderness deserve to be remembered as the pioneers who made 
the beginning of Cincinnati, the great metropolis of the Central 
Ohio Valley. 

This landing of Stites' party at Columbia was celebrated 
July 4, 1889, by the dedication of a monument to the first 
boatload of pioneers. The monument stands in the old Columbia 
cemetery, on a knoll overlooking Turkey Bottom, skirted on 
one side by the Pennsylvania Railroad and bordered on the 
other by a large glass factory. It consists of a freestone base 

surmounted by a fluted column. This 
column was a part of the old Cincin- 
nati postoffice building at Fourth and 
Vine Streets, where later stood the 
Chamber of Commerce Building. 
This site is now occupied by the 
Union Central Building. On one side 
of the pedestal of the monument is 
engraved these words: "To the Pio- 
neers Landing Near This Spot, Nov- 
ember 18, 1788." On the opposite 
side is: "To the first boatload of pio- 
neers landing near this spot — Major 
Benjamin Stites, Mrs. Benjamin 
Stites, Ben Stites Jr., Rachel Stites, 
Ann U. Stites, Greenbright Baily, 
Mrs. Greenbright Baily, James F. 
Baily, Reason Baily, Abel Cook, Jacob 
Mills, Jonathan Stites, Ephraim 
Kibby, John S. Gano, Mrs. Mary Gano, Thos. C. Wade, Hez- 
ckiah Stites, Elijah Stites, Edmund Buxton, Daniel Shoemaker, 
— Hempstead, Evan Shelby, Allen Woodruff, Hampton 




MONUMENT TO THE FOUND 
ERS OF COLUMBIA 



Woodruff, Joseph Cox, Benjamin Cox." 

The list has been criticized as being incomplete or inaccu- 
rate, but whether so or not, it contains the names of some of 
the brave leaders to whom the present inhabitants of Cincin- 
nati owe a lasting debt of gratitude. 

The Columbia settlers at once proceeded to construct a 
block house near the place of landing. The first rude building 
erected by the Miami settlers was 18 feet wide and 24 feet long, 
and contained but two rooms. It was a log cabin built in the 
usual way of rough, round logs notched at the corners. It had 

28 



THE SETTLEMENT AT COLUMBIA 

a puncheon floor and a roof of split logs secured by wooden 
pins. The attic projected over the lower story, and was pro- 
vided with loopholes for rifles. A large stone chimney rose 
through the middle of the gable farthest from the river. Within, 
the fireplace was large enough to take in a log four feet long. 
Food Supplies. — As in all new settlements, the first winter 
was one of considerable hardship for the settlers. Supplies 
were short, and because of this and other causes, there was 
suffering among the pioneers. But when their breadstuffs gave 
out, the women and children dug the bulbous roots of the bear 
grass in Turkey Bottom, dried them, pounded them into a 
coarse meal, and used this meal as a substitute for corn. For- 
tunately, however, there was an abundance of wild game in / 
the forest. Fish also were plentiful in the river. So passed the ^ 
first winter without disaster. When spring came the settlers 




WHERE COLUMBIA SETTLERS RAISED THEIR FIRST CORN CROP 

began the planting of their first crop. Half of the men worked 
in the fields while the other half kept guard to prevent a pos- 
sible attack of the Indians. They were more fortunate than 
most pioneers, for they found a tract of about 640 acres already 
cleared along the Little Miami about a mile and a half above 
its mouth, which for years had been cultivated by the Indians 
for growing corn. The Indians had, however, abandoned it. 
Here the settlers raised their first crop on what they called 
Turkey Bottom, so called because of the great number of wild 
turkeys found in these lowlands. This little clearing has long 
since widened into vast and productive cornfields that may be 
seen on the eastern edge of the prssent Columbia. But the 
name Turkey Bottom, with an indefinite boundary, still clings 
to that broad expanse of low bottom land. 

Church and School. — For two or three years Columbia was 
the largest settlement in the Miami Country. By the close of 

29 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

1790 it contained about fifty cabins. The appearance and ar- 
rangement of its buildings already surpassed those of other 
settlements. The population was made up of people of high 
character, who did not delay longer than necessary in establish- 
ing first, a place of worship, and then a school. Numerous 
ministers visited Columbia and preached to the settlers within 
the first year. In the spring of 1790 Elder Stephen Gano, of 
Virginia, while visiting relatives in Columbia, organized the 
Columbia Baptist Church. The present Hyde Park Baptist 
Church, of Cincinnati, claims to be a lineal descendant of this 
first religious organization in the Miami Country. 

For some time the meeting place of the new church was the 
dwelling of Benjamin Davis. Later Major Stites gave a lot to 
the church organization, on which was built a frame structure 
30 by 36 feet. This building was first occupied in 1793. It 
stood until 1835, when it was torn down. 

The founding of the first church at Cohmibia was soon 
followed by the establishment of a school. June 21, 1790, is the 
date. John Reily, a soldier of the Revolution from North Car- 
olina, was the first schoolmaster. Mr. Reily removed to Cin- 
cinnati in 1794, and became deputy clerk to the territorial Legis- 
lature and clerk of the Common Pleas Court and of the Supreme 
Court, and also recorder of the county. He died in 1850, at the 
age of eighty-seven. 

Major Stites had great hopes for thi' growth of Columbia 
into a great city. But these hopes were never realized. For 
over a mile along the Ohio and stretching back three quarters 
of a mile from the river Stites laid out the streets and squares 
of his proposed cit\'. And although all of this territory is now 
within the corporate limits of Cincinnati, much that was thus 
platted continues to be occupied by cornfields and garden 
patches. The modern Columbia lies considerably further down 
the river than the original settlement. 



30 



CHAPTER III 
The Founding of Losantiville 

The First Boatload. — Women and children were among the 
earliest pioneers who founded the settlement of Columbia. 
Men alone composed the first boatload of adventurers who, on 
Christmas Day, 1788, left the little settlement of Limestone 
(now Maysville, Ky.), and for four days, amid floating ice, 
dropped down the Ohio to a spot opposite the mouth of the 
Licking River, It was here they founded the town of Losanti- 
ville, afterwards called Cincinnati. They were:- James Car- 
penter, William McMillan, John Vance, Robert Caldwell, 
Sylvester White, Sam Mooney, Henry Lindsay, Joseph Thorn- 
ton, Noah Badger, Thaddeus Bruen, Daniel Shoemaker, Eph- 
raim Kibby, Thomas Gizzel, William Connell, Joel Williams, 
Samuel Blackburn, Scott Travers, John Porter, Frank Har- 
desty, Mathew Fowler, Evan Shelby, Israel Ludlow, and Robert 
Patterson. 

The Denman Purchase. — The founding of this second set- 
tlement in the Miami Country was the direct result of the com- 
bined effort of Mathias Denman, of New Jersey, and several 
leading Kentuckians. John Cleves Symmes had sold to Den- 
man a tract of about 740 acres opposite the mouth of the Lick- 
ing River. For this tract Denman paid five shillings per acre 
in continental scrip. On this original Denman tract is now- 
located most of the business section of Cincinnati; and the same 
land will sell to-day for from $50 to more than $6,000 per front 
foot. The boundary of the tract is as follows: Beginning at 
about the foot of Broadway, thence north on the section line 
to about where, if extended, Burnet Avenue would intersect 
Liberty Street; thence due west a mile along Liberty Street to 
a point two hundred feet west of Central Avenue; thence south 
to the river to a point a little east of the point where Park Street 
continued would intersect the river; thence along the river to 
the point of beginning. The original Denman tract comprised 
what is now entire section 18 and fractional section 17. 

31 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Denman's object was to establish a ferry. In selecting the 
site he showed an appreciative knowledge of the geography of 
the Miami Country and adjoining territory. The Licking 
furnished a good route to the Kentucky settlements, while up 
Mill Creek Valley was an easy grade to the interior north of 
the Ohio River. The Indians of the Miami head waters and of 
the Maumee Valley had used this as their principal route in 
making their raids into Kentucky. 

Denman, Patterson, Filson, and Ludlow. — Denman asso- 
ciated with himself in the purchase two others — Col. Robert 
Patterson and John Filson, of Lexington, Ky. These three 
men are frequently spoken of as the founders of Cincinnati, 
and although not altogether deserving the title, they are 
worthy of considerable notice in that connection. The fourth — 
Ludlow — joined later. 

Denman was in no sense a pioneer. He was in fact only 
interested in Losantiville as a speculator in western lands. He 
neither lived on his purchase nor did he remain in the West 
more than a short time after the founding of the Losantiville 
settlement. 

Colonel Robert Patterson, a representative Kentuckian, a 
bold frontiersman, and an able executive, was a man who would 
have been a leader and a man of thrift in any environment. 
He was perhaps the most able of the Losantiville founders, and 
may be regarded as more the leader of the settlement than any 
other of the party. 

But perhaps the most interesting and by far the most ro- 
mantic character among the founders of Losantiville was the 
schoolmaster, John Filson, who had come to Kentucky from 
Pennsylvania in 1783. In Kentucky he soon became acquainted 
with the famous guide and frontiersman, Daniel Boone, and 
other pioneers, from whom he learned the exciting story of the 
founding of that commonwealth. He published it in a book at 
Wilmington, Delaware, in 1785, and thus became the first his- 
torian of Kentucky and the original biographer of Boone. It 
was Filson who gave the new settlement its name, Losantiville. 
The name was afterward changed to Cincinnati, after the Order 
of Cincinnati, by Governor Arthur St. Clair, upon his arrival 
at the settlement in 1789. 

Filson died an unfortunate death. It seems that on an ex- 
ploring expedition in the Miami Country he became separated 

Z2 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 

from the rest of the party and was never heard from again. 
Whether he was killed by Indians or died from exposure or 
drowning was never known. His body was not found. After 
the death of Filson, Israel Ludlow took his place as one of the 
original proprietors of Cincinnati. 

Israel Ludlow had been appointed by the United States 
Geographer to survey the Miami purchase. Later he entered 
the employ of John Cleves Symmes. Ludlow is of particular 
interest to us because he was the only one of the original pro- 
prietors of Losantiville to remain within the vicinity, and be- 
cause of his connection with the beginnings of other important 
settlements in the Miami Country. In 1790 he established Lud- 
low's Station at what is now the intersection of Knowlton 
Street and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway in 
Cincinnati; in 1794 he laid out the city of Hamilton; in 1795 
he marked out the streets of Dayton, Ohio. Ludlow died in 
January, 1804, and was buried in the graveyard of the First 
Presbyterian Church, on Fourth Street, near Main. 

The Landing at Losantiville. — Tradition says that the party 
which left Limestone to found Losantiville spent the greater 
part of the day on which they left in completing preparations; 
so they did not start until late in the afternoon. They made 
only nine miles the first day, and then tied up for the night. 
On the third day they passed Columbia, but the floating ice 
prevented them from landing. On the evening of that same 
day they reached the mouth of the Licking River, and were 
compelled to remain on the Kentucky shore, as the packs of 
floating ice hindered them from crossing the river to the point 
they had already selected for the new settlement. The next 
morning, however, they succeeded in getting across. They 
entered a little inlet. This became known afterward as Yeat- 
man's Cove. The curious can find its position on Front Street 
at the foot of Sycamore Street. It received its name from 
Griffin Yeatman, who for many a year resided there and kept 
a tavern at the point where Sycamore Street intersects the 
Public Landing. 

The Survey of the Town. — Immediately after landing, Lud- 
low proceeded to make his survey for the town. The work was 
substantially completed on January 7, 1789, the date on which 
the drawing took place for the donation lots. 

As originally laid out, the town was bounded on the north 

33 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

by Northern Row, now Seventh Street; on the east by Eastern 
Row, now Broadway; on the west by Western Row, now Cen- 
tral Avenue. What is now the PubHc Landing, south of Front 
Street, between Main and Broadway, was declared a public 
common. This small tract which thus became Cincinnati's 
first public park was set aside for public use within one month 
of the landing of the first settlers. 




YEATMAN'S COVE ; FROM AN OLD DRAWING 



The Apportionment of Lots. — By January 7 the apportion- 
ment of lots was over. Those accepting lots did so under the 
following agreement, promulgated by Ludlow January 7, 1789: 

Conditions 

on which the donation lots in the town Losantiville 
are held and settled. 

The first thirty town and out lots to so many of 
the most early adventurers shall be given by the pro- 
prietors Messrs. Denman, Patterson and Ludlow who 
for their part do agree to make a deed free and clear 
of all charges and incumbrances excepting that of sur- 
veying and deeding the same so soon as a deed is pro- 
cured from Congress by Judge Symmes. 

The holders for their part do agree to become 
actual settlers on the premises; plant and attend two 
crops successively and not less than one acre shall be 
cultivated for each crop and that within the terms of 
two years — each person receiving a donation lot or 
lots shall build a house equal to twenty feet square one 

34 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 

story and a half high with a brick stone or clay chim- 
ney which shall stand in front of their respective lots 
and shall be put in tenantable repair within the term 
of two years from the date thereof. 

The above requisitions shall be minutely complyed 
with under penalty of forfeiture unless Indian depra- 
dations render it impracticable. Done this seventh 
day of January One Thousand seven hundred and 
Eighty-Nine. 

Israel Ludlow. 

The price of the lots in the beginning was very low. For 
example, Israel Ludlow, in payment for a balance of less than 
one hundred dollars due to him from the proprietors, preferred 
to take 120 acres, seven miles from the town, rather than four 
outside lots and an entire square located on what is now Pearl 
Street. Lots not donated are said to have sold at from two dol- 
lars to four dollars each. After the Indian Wars, however, when 
population again moved toward Cincinnati, the price of real 
estate advanced. 

The greater part of the first month was spent in making 
surveys and in marking out lots allotted to the purchasers. 
The street plan of the new settlement was modeled after Phil- 
adelphia. Between Broadway and Western Row (now Central 
Avenue) were marked out six streets, each 66 feet wide, run- 
ning north 16 degrees west and lying 396 feet apart. These 
were intersected at right angles by others the same distance 
apart, except that Water and Front Streets are closer together, 
and Second and Third Streets are further apart on account of 
the topography. No alleys nor diagonal streets were included 
in the plan. 

Primitive Cincinnati. — In "Cincinnati in 1859," page 139, 
Charles Cist has given us the following account of Losantiville 
in its original state: 

From the hill which skirts the present line of Third 
Street, to the river bluffs, lay a broad swamp, which 
occupied, principally, the space from Second to Lower 
Market Streets, although, from its irregular shape, 
parts of it extend even further south. This was orig- 
inally a thicket of beech and sugar trees and grape 
vines, interspersed with a heavy undergrowth of spice- 
wood and pawpaws. On the second table, now lying 
between Third Street and the hills in the rear of Cin- 
cinnati, the ground was more unbroken in its surface, 

35 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

and heavily timbered with beech, sugar tree, and 
poplar, some of them of immense size. The river bank 
was a high bluff, extending opposite the present Public- 
Landing, about one hundred and fifty feet south of 
the upper line of Front Street, and falling off north to 
the swamp rather rapidly. At Sycamore Street a large 
cove put in, reaching within a foot of what is now the 
northeast corner of Sycamore and Front Streets. 
Here Griffin Yeatman kept one of our earliest public 
iiouses. ... At the corner of Ludlow was another 
of these coves, and another higher up, just below the 
mouth of Deer Creek. The first of these was called 
Stone Landing and the second, Dorsey's Cove. The 
ground fell off all the way from the banks of the Ohio 
to Second, then called Columbia Street. The coves 
referred to in the early days were the usual landing 
places for emigrants, as they probably had been to the 
various expeditions which the settlers in Kentucky, 
from time to time sent over to retaliate on the Shaw- 
anese Indian settlements to our north, their incursions 
across the Ohio. 

As soon as the lots were a.ssigned, settlers began to put u[) 
cabins, clear the land, and get ready for the planting of crops. 
The larger part of the land between Walnut Street and Broad- 
way was cleared; although in many cases trees were allowed 
to lie where they had fallen, and stumps to remain throughout 
the whole settlement for many years to come. 

The First Settlers. — The arrival of families was not long 
delayed after the coming of the first boatload of adventurers. 
The date of the arrival of the first family is not definitely known. 
But Mrs. Rebecca Reeder tells of the arrival of the family to 
which she belonged on February 8, 1789. There were then 
three women in the settlement — Mrs. Dement, Mrs. Constant 
Zenes, who afterwards married William McMillan, and Mrs. 
Pestal, a German woman. The only small children in the set- 
tlement were those of Mrs. Pestal. Mrs. Reeder was the daughter 
of Francis Kennedy, who, with his wife and seven children, 
floated down the Ohio in a boat. On landing, the first people 
they met were William McMillan and Israel Ludlow. 

The whole of Losantiville then consisted of three cabins, 
not floored, in which lived the surveyors and chain carriers. 
The men of the settlement assisted Kennedy in breaking up 
his boat and completing the temporary camp in which the 
lamily lived for six weeks. In the meantime he built a larger 

36 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 




THE FIRST LOG CABIN BUILT IN 
> CINCINNATI 



cabin, which was the first one large enough to shelter an entire 
family. According to Mrs. Reeder, her father established the 
first ferry in Cincinnati. She is also authority for the state- 
ment that Smith and Findley were the first storekeepers, and 
that Colonel Gibson kept store at Main and Water Streets. 

Food, Utensils, and Clothing. — During the early period of 
the settlement the difficulties of obtaining food were consid- 
erable, though fish and game were abundant. A large propor- 
tion of the flour and bacon 
and other produce was secured 
at considerable risk from the 
Kentucky settlements. Only 
about twenty acres of corn 
were planted the first season. 
The corn was generally ground 
in hand-mills. Tables were 
made of planks laid on tres- 
tles; trunks and blocks served 
for chairs, wooden bowls and 
trenches for dishes, and gourds 
for drinking vessels. Bed- 
steads were made of poles held up by two outer posts and 
the other ends sticking in the holes in the wall. Skins were laid 
across this to serve instead of a mattress, and skins were also 
used for the chief bed coverings. Children usually slept in the 
loft, to which they climbed by means of pegs driven into the 
walls. Hunting shirts were made of deer skins. The women 
wore linen and linsey woolsey. The dresses were colored with 
the bark of the butternut. Sunbonnets were almost the in- 
variable feminine headgear. 

Primitive Exchange. — Very little money circulated in this 
early community, and instead the skins of wild animals to a 
great extent served as a medium of exchange. Rabbit skins 
were valued at six and a fourth cents, coon skins at twelve and 
a half cents, and fox skins at a half dollar each. What little 
money was in circulation consisted of silver Spanish dollars. 
These were frequently cut into quarters and even eighths to 
make small change. Hence the expression one bit (12^ cents), 
two bits (25 cents). 

Early Schools. — The necessity of making a living and the 
hardships encountered did not long prevent the pioneers from 

37 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

furnishing opportunities for education for their children. William 
D. Ludlow, who came to Cincinnati in 1789, at five years of age, 
tells us that his first schoolmaster was an Irishman named 
Lloyd. The schoolhouse stood on the river bank, now the 
Public Landing, near Main Street. It was located there be- 
cause that was the safest place from a possible attack from the 
Indians. Another early school, erected in 1792, was located at 
Third and Lawrence Streets. A little later a better structure 
was completed on the upper side of Fourth Street opposite St. 
Paul's Church, where now stands the St. Paul Building. The 
Presbyterian Church itself was used for a time as a schoolhouse. 
William Lyon, who came to Cincinnati in 1791, tells of having 
attended school in the cabin near Riddle's blacksmith shop on 
the Public Landing near Sycamore Street. This was probably 
the school attended by Ludlow. Lyon's teacher was Kennedy 
Moreton, a great believer in the rod. He frequently whipped 
young men with a long gad (pole) until they fairly jumped from 
the floor. 

The First Newspaper. — Another educational influence that 
early came to Cincinnati was the printing press. On November 
9, 1793, while the Miami Country was still subject to Indian 
raids, William Maxwell issued the first number of the "Sentinel of 
the Northwest Territory," at the corner of Front and Sycamore 
Streets. The Sentinel was a four-page sheet, 8}^ by 10^ 
inches. The subscription price was $2.50 per year. A copy of 
this edition is in the possession of the Ohio Historical and Phil- 
osophical Society, and is preserved in their museum in the Van 
Wormer Library Building at the University of Cincinnati. 
This first Ohio newspaper, "The Sentinel," had an existence of 
something more than two and a half years. Its advertisements 
in a considerable degree reflect the life of the settlement. From 
Greve's History of Cincinnati we take the following: 

Levi Woodward advertised that on November 11th 
between Seth Cutler's tavern and Samuel Thompson's 
house he had "found a pair of Deer .Skin Sattle Bags, 
one Shirt, and one pair of Trousers of Homespun linen, 
which the owner can have by proving Property and 
Paying Charges." Darius C. Orcutt had a tract of 
• land for sale on the Licking River, for which he would 
take corn, whiskey, flour, nect cattle, horses, pork, 
beef or cash in payment. John Ludlow on December 
18th advertises "Good encouragement will be given 

38 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 

to a Number of Settlers at Mount Pleasant two miles 
from Ludlow's Station, on the Main Road to Fort 
Hamilton." C. Avery (December 21) calls on those 
who are indebted to him to pay their accounts, other- 
wise he will be under the necessity of taking measures 
which will be disagreeable to him and more so to those 
who do not comply with this friendly notice. William 
Tait offers a neat and general assortment of Dry Goods 
and Groceries far superior in quality to any yet opened 
in this place, in a small frame house on the southeast 
corner of Sycamore and Second Streets. Mr. Findley, 
merchant, just arrived from Pittsburg, February 22, 
1794, tells of being attacked by the Indians above the 
mouth of the Scioto. In this number also is the news 
of an attack by Indians about nine miles on this side 
of Fort Hamilton "upon two wagons owned by Mr. 
Scott Traverse, the one loaded with merchandise be- 
longing to Messrs. Smith and Findley, of this place, 
the other with Quarter-Master's stores. . . . The 
waggoners were both killed, the teams captured, the 
wagons set on fire and together with their cargoes en- 
tirely consumed. Mr. Traverse appears to have been 
most unhumanly butchered." The opening of the 
General Court before Hon. George Turner is reported; 
The procession from the Judge's Chambers to the 
public ground, was in the following order. 

Constables with Battoons, 

Shiriff and Coroner with white wands. 

Gaoler, 

The Honorable Judge, 

Clerk with a green bag, 

Judge of the Common Pleas, 

Justices of the Peace, 

Attornies, Messengers, Etc. 

The anniversary of Independence Day was cel- 
ebrated with becoming glee, by a joyous band of free 
hearts and willing spirits, from the Army and the City. 
At noon a federal salute, from Fort Washington now- 
commanded by Captain John Pierce of the artillery. 
At 4 o'clock the company sat down if not to Eastern 
Luxuries, to a handsome and plentiful dinner, well 
served by Mr. Gordon. The juicy high flavored venison 
of the forest, and the delicious turtle of the Ohio are 
not absent on this occasion. Well seasoned mirth, and 
paternal harmony beguiled the passing day and the 
company retired at 8 o'clock. The same number an- 
nounces the post office was kept at the dwelling of 
Abner M. Dunn. Esq. 

Z9 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The First Church and the First Pastor. — The pioneers did 
not long delay in establishing opportunities for religious wor- 
ship. The proprietors, in laying out the town, dedicated the 
southern half of the block bounded by Fourth, Walnut, Fifth, 
and Main Streets for school and church purposes. The next 
year, 1790, Rev. David Rice, of Kentucky, organized a Presby- 
terian church, and proceeded to occupy the premises. Not 
being able to erect a building at once, the congregation used 
the lot as a cemetery; but when the weather was good, reli- 
gious services were held on the church lot in the open air. 

In 1791 the Rev. James Kemper arrived. A subscription 
was at once started with which to erect a church meeting house. 
The trees had already been cleared from a portion of the lot at 
Fourth and Main Streets. There the pioneers met in the open air 
with logs for seats, and rifles in hand for protection from Indians. 

The first meeting house was finally erected in 1792, the land 
around being enclosed with a post-and-rail fence. Timber for 
the building was taken from the very spot on which it was 
erected. The first Cincinnati church was a plain frame build- 
ing 30 by 40 feet, the roof weather-boarded with clapboards, 
and neither lathed, plastered, nor ceiled. The floor was made 
of boat planks, loosely laid on sleepers, while seats were formed 
by bringing in the necessary number of logs and placing them a 
suitable distance apart and then covering them with boards 
whipsawed. On one side of the room was a breastwork of un- 
planed cherry. This constituted the pulpit. Behind It the 
preacher stood on a stout plank supjjortcd by two blocks of 
wood. This original church was removed in 1804 to Vine Street, 
below Fifth, about where the Kmery Hotel now stands, and the 
lot occupied by a brick Iniilding for business purposes. 

The first pastor of this backwoods congregation, the Rev. 
James Kemper, is deserving of considerable notice because of 
the place which he and his family occupied in the community. 
Born in 1753, in Fauquier Count\', Va., he was, in succession, 
farm boy, teacher, civil engineer, and preacher. In 1783 he 
went to Tennessee as government surveyor. There he met the 
Rev. David Rice, of Kentucky, who induced him to abandon 
his work and become a minister of the gospel. Two years later, 
convoyed by an escort of forty men, he brought his family, 
consisting of wife and six children, into Kentucky, and took up 
his pastoral work at Dyckcs River, near Danville. He was in 

40 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 




HOME OF REV. JAMES KEMPER 



great financial straits, and accepted the use of a 20-acre farm 
as salary. Here he began reading divinity, teaching school, and 
catechising the churches. In 1791 he was fully licensed to 
preach, and shortly afterward came to Cincinnati and began 
preaching at North Bend, Columbia, Cincinnati, and Round 
Bottom. He arrived in Cincinnati with his family on October 
25 or 26, 1791, about nine days after St. Clair's defeat. The 
Indians at this time were so 
troublesome that it was nec- 
essary for the guard to convoy 
him from one church to an- 
other. 

Kemper was a fine upright 
man, about five feet nine 
inches tall, weighing 160 lbs. 
He wore knee breeches with 
silver knee-buckles, silver 
shoe-buckles, three high col- 
lars to his coat, a cue, and a 
voluminous neck-cloth. He was, in fact, what one would call 
"a careful dresser." Wi.ining in manners and slow to speak, 
he had a commanding ard attractive countenance. He was 
open, serious, preoccupied and expectant, quiet, gentle, and re- 
served. His home was on Kemper Lane. Walnut Hills. This 
original residence has been removed to the Zoological Garden, 
where it is still prescrxed. 

The First Government. For the first two years of the life 
of the settlement there was no regularly organized government. 
Settlers in the community adjusted their own differences. But, 
like all frontier settlements, Losantiville had its share of indi- 
viduals who had no just and proper regard for the rights of 
their neighbors. As in all Anglo-Saxon communities, the germ 
of self-government was present among the leaders in Losanti- 
ville. They in due time proceeded to organize a government 
to provide for the exigencies of the situation. A public meeting 
was called under a large spreading tree. William McMillan 
Avas elected chairman and secretary. A code of laws was drawn 
up providing for punishment for certain offenses. All promised 
to aid in enforcing them as the laws of the community. William 
McMillan was elected Judge, with John Ludlow as Sherifif of 
the newly provided goxernment. 

41 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Fort Washington. — These beginnings of community life 
were made under adverse conditions. Although the settlement 
of Losantiville grew rapidly during the first few months of its 
existence, its development was suddenly checked by renewed 
hostility of the Indians. A temporary lull in the fighting had 
come at the time of the beginning of the settlement. Now the 
lighting broke out again with greater violence. The Indians, 
urged on by the British in the neighborhood of Detroit, de- 
termined that the Miami settlement should be entirely de- 
stroyed. What the pioneers needed most at this time was pro- 
tection. In supplying it the national government was tard\-. 




(Courtesy of Rombach & Groene) 
FORT WASHINGTON 

Small garrisons were finally established at Columbia and North 
Bend. Later, Cincinnati was given the greatest measure of 
protection, when Major Daughty, with 140 men, dropped down 
the river and began the construction of Fort Washington. This 
was in August, 1789. From this time forward Cincinnati had 
a distinct advantage over all other settlements in the Miami 
Country. The government first built four block houses near 
the present Public Landing. Later, Fort Washington was con- 
structed on a plot of 15 acres east of Broadway and south of 
Front Street. The following December Lieutenant William 
Henry Harrison arrived with 300 soldiers and assumed com- 
mand. In February, 1790, General St. Clair and the judges of 

42 



THE FOUNDING OF LOSANTIVILLE 



the Superior Court arrived and set up court. It was then that 
the name was changed from Losantiville to Cincinnati. 

Even with the protection afforded by Fort Washington, the 
people of the settlement were frequently harassed by the In- 
dians, and emigrants entirely ceased to come to the Miami 
Country until after Wayne's victory, in August, 1794. 

It was during this pioneer 
time, say from 1789 to 1795, 
that the community life of 
Cincinnati began. For streets 
were marked off, lots were ap- 
portioned among the settlers, 
cabins were built, clearings 
were made, crops were raised, 
and stores were established. 
When hostilities at last ceased, 
emigrants again began to come 
to the Middle West. Cincin- 
nati, although still only a set- 
tlement of log cabins, had 
established the beginnings of most of those institutions that 
characterize permanent and civilized communities. With the 
exception of Lexington, Cincinnati already was the most im- 
portant community west of Pittsburgh. 

Before dealing with the details of community organization 
in Cincinnati, it will be well to give some further particulars of 
the pioneer life, and this will be found in the following chapter. 




SITE OF FORT WASHINGTON : THIRD 
AND LUDLOW STREETS 



43 



CHAPTER IV 

Pioneer Life 



Note. — This chapter on "Pioneer Life" was written by Florence Wil- 
son in 1909. Miss Wilson was at that time a teacher in the Linwood School. 
She was later transferred to W'oodward High School, w'here she remained 
until the time of her death, April, 1914. She was one of the pioneers in the 
introduction of civics into the Public Schools of Cincinnati, being a member 
of the first class of teachers which met at the Public Library during the school 
year 1909-10 to consider ways and means of promoting good citizenship, 
it was for the purpose of furnishing a study in the elements of community 
life that Miss Wilson prepared this article. It is presented not only as a 
valuable civic study, but as a testimonial of a teacher of superior ability and 
fine character, who was taken from us before her work was completed. 

Because life in our community runs on so smoothh* from 
clay to day, it is hard for us to realize that it has not always done 

so. It seems only natural 
that each citizen should have 
but one kind of work to do, 
and should bend all his ener- 
gies toward doing that work 
well. By being paid in money 
for his services, he can in turn 
use this money to pay his 
fellow citizens for the results 
of their labor, and thus at 
the same time satisfy his own 
demands. 

Little more than a hundred years ago the conditions of life 
in Cincinnati were far different. It rested with each family to 
satisfy its own demands. There were no large and well equipped 
factories for supplying soap, cloth, brooms, dishes, etc. Every 
household must need produce these things itself, and the work 
must be so planned that everything would be ready when it 
was needed. 

Dr. Daniel Drake.— In order to form some idea of the re- 
sponsibility which rested with the early pioneer, it might be 
well for us to follow the history of some one family. Dr. Daniel 

44 




SOUVENIRS OF PIONEER TIMES 



PIONEER LIFE 

Drake, a prominent citizen of Cincinnati during the greater 
part of the first half century of the city's existence, has left us 
such a history in the form of a series of letters written to his 
children and grandchildren, and describing his early life in the 
wilderness near Maysville, Kentucky. Within recent years 
these letters have been collected and edited under the title 
"Pioneer Life in Kentucky," and now form a valuable source 
in the early historical collection of early Cincinnati. The fact 
that the events occurred in Kentucky does not seriously impair 
their historical value to us, as the two localities are so near to 
each other that the same conditions are to be found in both. 

Dr. Drake came to Cincinnati when he was fifteen, and 
learned to love our city very dearly. No one citizen has ever 
done more for her welfare than he. Besides helping to found 
our first medical college, and forming a literary club which 
greatly advanced our intellectual culture, he was influential in 
planting the row of elm trees which stands on the western side 
of Washington Park. He led the movement which many years 
later resulted in the construction of the Cincinnati Southern 
Railway. 

Removal of the Drake Family to Kentucky. — He tells us 
that his father, Isaac Drake, was a poor miller hired to run a 
mill. When his son Daniel was two years of age Isaac Drake 
became dissatisfied with his lot in New Jersey, and wished to 
take his wife and son and his baby daughter to some new region 
of this undeveloped country. His two elder brothers, Abraham 
and Cornelius, decided to take their families and accompany 
him. In addition, two other families distantly connected with 
the Drakes joined them; and, after making the necessary prep- 
arations, they set out in their schooner wagons for their rough 
journey over the Alleghenies. When they arrived at Fort Pitt, 
now Pittsburgh, they found other families preparing to take 
the perilous journey down the Ohio. A little fleet of five flat- 
boats was accordingly gotten together and the whole party set 
out. About four days later they arrived at the settlement, 
consisting of four or five log cabins, then known as Limestone, 
but since changed to Maysville. While preparing to land, 
Isaac Drake had the misfortune to sprain his ankle and had to 
be carried on shore. The whole party proceeded about four 
miles inland to a village called Washington. Here Drake found 
shelter for his family in an abandoned sheep cote. By spending 

45 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

liis last dollar for a bushel of corn he managed to keep them 
from starving until his ankle would permit him to work. The 
other men of his party began to look about for a suitable place 
to locate. After a few months they purchased a tract of four- 
teen hundred acres about eight miles beyond Washington, and 
situated on the Lexington Road. By reason of the fact that 
the land contained an abandoned buffalo lick and was owned 
by a man named May, they called the site Mayslick. By selling 
the only capital he possessed, his wagon and one of his horses, 
Isaac Drake was able to purchase thirty-eight acres, and in a 
short time was able to increase the number to fifty. 

Building the Cabin. — Each of the five men now .set out from 
Washington, shouldering his faithful axe, and by its aid alone 
hoped to erect his new home in the wilderness. The ground 
was first cleared by cutting down the saplings and girdling 
those trees which were more than a foot in diameter. Logs of 
suitable size for the cabin were selected and rolled to a con- 
venient spot, when the work of "raising" the cabin began. As 
soon as the four walls were erected and half of the roof and half 
of the log chimney constructed, the families moved into their 
new quarters. It mattered little to them that there were no 
"puncheons" placed upon the broad "sleepers" which had been 
erected to sustain the floor; nor did they mind the broad crevices 
in the roof so long as the "puncheon" door could be heavily 
barred, and thus render them secure against the Indians. 

Clearing and Planting.^ — Just as soon as the cabin offered 
sulificient protection to the family, the work of clearing the field 
for the planting began. Isaac Drake was not in robust health, 
so he had to content himself with a small clearing. In due time, 
however, the planting was finished, and the whole family were 
looking forward to a feast of "roasting ears." A heavy frost 
on the last night of August dashed to pieces these hopes, and 
the pioneers, whose appetites had been cloyed with animal food, 
felt that they could scarcely endure another winter with their 
longing for corn unsatisfied. No fault was to be found with 
the game of this region, for the venison was as fine as could be 
found anywhere, and the turkeys were so plump that the fall 
from their roost in the trees was sufficient to burst their skins. 

Within a very few years several other families located at 
Mayslick, and it soon grew into quite a promising village. 
When Daniel was nine years old his father traded their little 

46 



PIONEER LIFE 

tract of fifty acres for a larger one of two hundred acres, sit- 
uated farther back in the woods, about a mile west of Mayslick. 

Boys' Work. — A new cabin, differing very little from the 
old one, was now erected, and Daniel was called upon to lend 
a hand. His father also found him of use in the field. Although 
he was still too small to guide a plow, he could sit astride the 
"old gray," and with the cockles and thistles tearing his bare 
legs and feet, he could urge the horse up and down the long 
furrows, and thus leave his father free to manage the plow, a 
task not by any means easy in such a rooty soil. After the 
plowing came the planting. Here Daniel was useful in drop- 
ping the seed while his father attended to covering them with 
the hoe. As soon as the corn began to come up, Daniel and his 
faithful dog "Old Lion" were kept busy chasing the crows and 
squirrels from the fields. 

Corn and Its Uses. — Daniel felt amply repaid for all his 
labor, however, when the era of the "roasting ears" arrived. 
No other dish on the pioneer's table quite came up to this; and 
the whole family enjoyed the feast while it lasted. When the 
corn grew too old to be roasted, it was grated on a tin grater; 
and the pulp thus obtained was baked before the fire. Daniel 
did not look forward to this period with any marked pleasure, 
as the task of grating fell to his lot, and he not infrequently 
grated his thumb as well as the corn. When the corn grew too 
hard even for this use, it was ready to be gathered and ground 
into meal. Every part of the corn stalk could be utilized by 
the pioneer. The blades below the ears were gathered into 
bundles and stored as fodder for winter use. The stalks above 
the ears were cut and shocked, and the stalks themselves were 
cut, stripped of their ears, and likewise stored for fodder. When 
the ears were pulled they were thrown into a rick to await 
husking. After the husking came the shelling, an occupation 
which was reserved for a rainy day. A large sheet would be 
spread on the floor, and every child large enough to hold an 
ear in his hand would be set to work. Not even the cobs of 
this useful plant w^ere wasted, for they were either tossed into 
the fire to serve as fuel, or the baby used them as blocks with 
which to build to}' houses. After the shelling, the corn was 
ready to be ground into meal. Their method of grinding was 
very crude. Daniel mentions using a burnt out tree stump as a 
mortar for pounding corn. He also describes the hand mills 

47 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

which they sometimes tised, an excellent illustration of which is 
to be foimd in McMaster's "School History." Besides these, 
there were two other kinds of mills in the neighborhood, those 
turned by horses, and those run by water power. These were 
not very common, and the Drakes made but little use of them. 
In their family, as in the whole of Kentucky, corn meal was 
largely used as a substitute for wheat flour. 

Harvest Time. — The soil of this part of Kentucky is not 
adapted to the cultivation of wheat. Besides, the weavil abounds 
in this vicinity. Isaac Drake and his wife had such a craving 
for wheat bread, like that they had been accustomed to back 
in their New Jersey home, that Mr. Drake finally decided to 
try his luck at raising w'heat. Accordingly the cornfield was re- 
plowed with the shovel-plow, and the bushy limb of a tree was 
used in place of a hoe. When the w^heat had ripened, the social 
labor of harvesting was indulged in, much to Daniel's delight. 
In early years he was too young to do little else than to carry 
the sheaves to be shocked. As he grew older he learned to bind 
and cut the wheat; but his great ambition was to wield the 
sickle so vigorously that, to use a homely phrase, he would 
"sweat enough to wet his shirt." When, however, he noticed 
that those men sweat most who drank the most whiskey, this 
desire was given up. His busy mother found no holiday in the 
harvest time. On such occasions there were so many "extras" 
at the table that Daniel was oftentimes called from the field 
to give his mother assistance in the kitchen. 

Pumpkin and the Truck Patch. — Planted in and out among 
the corn stalks was found another product very popular with 
the pioneer, the pumpkin vine. In the early fall the ground 
would be covered with this rich golden fruit, and then "old 
Brindle" enjoyed her share of the feast as much as the family 
enjoyed their spicy pumpkin pies. To keep pumpkin during the 
winter it was cut into strips and hung up on the rafters to dry. 

Somewhere in the midst of the cornfield, but well hidden 
from the road, e\'ery farmer had his truck patch, in which he 
raised his vegetables. Apples were not very plentiful in this 
region of Kentucky, but the rich, creamy turnip, such as coukl 
be raised in the dark, rich soil, was an excellent substitute. 

Caring for the Stock. — Along with his other duties, it was 
Daniel's work to look after the stock. If the fodder ran out 
before the winter was over, the woods must be resorted to for 

48 



PIONEER LIFE 

" browse " for the cattle and horses. With axes on their shoulders, 
Daniel and his father would be seen driving these animals to 
the nearest forests. They would select a slippery elm, because 
of its soft and mucilaginous twigs, and just as soon as it fell to 
earth the "browsing" commenced. After cutting down several 
trees, they would leave the animals to their feast and devote 
their time to other work. 

Building Fences. — Winter was usually considered a good 
time to lay in a supply of fence rails, and they hunted up the 
blue ash and honey locust for this purpose. When fourteen 
years of age, Daniel could split seventy rails of blue ash. or 
forty rails of honey locust in a day, a record of which an\' boy 
might well be proud. By means of the log-chain these rails 
were hauled to the place where the fence was to be put up. 

In making fences, it fell to Daniel's lot to lay the "worm" 
or ground rail. This v/as done by setting up two rows of stakes 
parallel to each other and five feet apart. A grubbing hoe was 
used to mark the ground within the range of two stakes. As 
he grew older and more experienced he dispensed with the hoe 
and "sighted" by the stakes. His father and the hired man 
would follow after him and lay up the rails on the ground rail 
which he had formed. 

Sugar Making. — They did not always go for "browsing" 
when they went to the woods in February. In clearing the 
land they were always careful to save all the sugar maples. 
But there were not many of these trees on their land. So every 
year they rented a neighboring grove and set out to tap them. 
They would take with them their axes for tapping, several iron 
vats or pots, and a barrel placed on an old sled, to which the 
horse was hitched. When the troughs of buckeye wood had 
been placed to catch the sap, they would erect a sort of half- 
camp with clapboards; and while the father would attend to 
hanging the vats and gathering the fuel to be placed underneath 
them, Daniel would drive in and out among the trees, emptying 
the sugar-water from the troughs into the barrel. If the quantity 
of sap was not great, they would wait to boil it down, often 
going home in the early dawn. But if there was too much to 
handle in so short a time, they left the process of evaporating 
until the next day. In this manner the family were supplied 
with sugar and syrup for the coming winter. Daniel always 
took great delight in gathering berries for preserves in the sum- 

49 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

nier time. In the fall he was careful to gather their winter sup- 
ply of nuts; and, like Chateaubriand's bear, he always knew 
where the wild grapes were to be found. 

Household Duties. — Besides all this work out in the open, 
there were many ways in which Daniel helped his mother in 
her household duties. Besides splitting and bringing in the 
wood, he would carry water from the neighboring spring, "slop" 
the cows, and stand over them with a stick while his mother 
milked them. He even assisted in the milking, but as the whole 
neighborhood considered such work "goalish" (girlish), both 
he and his mother were careful that no neighboring men or 
bo3^s caught him at it. By strange inconsistency, churning was 
not proscribed, so that Daniel often moved the "dasher" up 
and down, waiting for butter to "come." He also knew the 
art of cheese making, and could prepare the rennet, assist in 
squeezing out the whey from the curds, and manage the long 
lever of the cheese press. 

Wash Day. — Friday was the Drakes' wash-day. A long 
trough, dug out of the trunk of a tree, stood under the back 
eaves to catch rain water for washing. During time of droughts 
when a shower came up, all the washtubs and buckets of the 
house were set out to catch as great a supply as possible. It 
often happened that water had to be brought from the spring, 
and this hard water must be "broke" with ashes. Besides 
carrying water, Daniel also had to keep up the fire, take care 
of the children, and assist in hanging out the clothes, which, 
for want of line, were hung on a fence. Sometimes it was de- 
cided to take the clothes to a small pond and wash them near 
its edge. Other families did the same, and much hilarity and 
social chit-chat were indulged in. The soap for washing these 
clothes was of their own manufacture. Mr. Drake supplied the 
"ash hopper," which consisted of clapboards arranged in an 
inverted pyramid. In the bottom were thrown some husks, 
straw, or dried bufifalo grass to act as a strainer. This hopper 
was filled with ashes, on the broad surface of which water from 
time to time was poured by the bucketful. A trough beneath 
received the lye, which, over a fire in the yard, was boiled down 
until it was strong enough to float an egg. The fat was then 
added, and the boiling continued till the soap came. 

Scrubbing and scouring were done on Saturday, but the 
scrubbing;-brush was unknown in that region. In its stead a 

50 



PIONEER LIFE 

split broom was used. This was made from a small hickory 
sapling, stripped into "splits" for about eight or ten inches 
with a jackknife pressed by the right thumb. The "splits" 
w^ere bent back and held down with the left hand. When the 
heart of the wood was reached it was too brittle to strip, so it 
was sawed off and the "splits" were turned forward and tied 
with a tow" string. The pole itself was then reduced to a con- 
venient size for a handle . A shorter hand-broom called a ' ' scrub ' ' 
was made precisely like the scrubbing broom, only a smaller 
sapling was used. All the buckeye bowls and the good old 
black walnut tables were scoured with these scrubs. 

Home-made Clothing. — Not only must the mother attend 
to preparing food for her family, and see that her house was 
kept neat and clean, but she must also provide clothing for 
them all. Cotton goods were seldom seen in this region, and a 
calico dress was most highly prized. Sheep raising was profit- 
able, so a great deal of woolen material was used. Before shear- 
ing, the sheep would be driven to a shallow running stream, 
and the wool washed while on their backs. It was then dried, 
and the sheep were ready for shearing. The wool was filled 
with cockles and burrs, which had to be picked out with the 
fingers. Daniel helped with this, as well as with the carding of 
it, and then turned it over to his mother for the spinning. After 
spinning, it would be prepared for weaving either into a pure 
woolen cloth or into a mixed cloth made of both linen and wool, 
and known as "linsey woolsey." Every member of the family 
was clothed in this material, and the busy mother's fingers spun 
and wove it all. 

The "linsey woolsey" mentioned above was dingy and un- 
attractive in color. Hence, to improve it and render it more 
pleasing to the eye, Mrs. Drake subjected it to various dye- 
stuffs. The most frequently used coloring was that obtained 
from the inner bark of the white walnut. It was a peculiar, 
though permanent, shade of dull yellow, known as the "butter- 
nut shade." The hulls of the black walnut were used to furnish 
rusty black. Indigo, which cost eighteen pence an ounce, was 
used as a blue dye; and from madder, which cost three shillings 
a pound, they obtained a sort of dirty red. Any bit of color 
delighted the pioneer child's eye. Even the slightest band of 
red trimming on the butternut "linsey woolsey" fed the youth- 
ful vanity almost to the extent as did a "boughten suit;" 

51 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Barter, Salt and Whiskey. — Daniel received his first 
"boughten suit" when he was twelve years old . It was paid for 
by a load of timothy seed, which Daniel and his father brought 
to "the Lick," and there exchanged for some "fustian," with 
which to make Daniel a "round-about" and a pair of panta- 
loons. Money was not plentiful in this region, and bartering 
was the common practice. Most of the wants of the pioneer 
could be satisfied from his own lands; but there were some few 
Avhich could not. Among these latter the most important was 
salt. It could only be obtained by shipping it from the coast 
or by evaporating the water of an unusually abundant salt 
spring. Blue Licks was such a spring, and it had a number of 
evaporating furnaces near it. Eight hundred gallons of water 
had to be boiled down to obtain one bushel of salt. Mr. Drake 
would sometimes come here to buy his salt, and would bring 
with him for payment as much hay as two horses could draw. 
As another instance of barter, we might mention the sale of a 
very fine horse. Even in those days Kentuckians took great 
pride in their horses, and after laboring so hard to raise them 
tried to get the highest price possible for them. Daniel's father 
was not unlike his neighbors in this respect, so took one of his 
animals, which proved to be especially fine, to a market in an 
adjoining county. A Kentucky colonel bought it and offered as 
part pay one hundred gallons of whiskey. This was more "fire- 
water" than the Drake family could find use for, so they set 
to work retailing it to their neighbors. Daniel was put in charge, 
and had his first experience as a bartender when he was eleven 
years of age. In after years Daniel became a very zealous tem- 
perance advocate. And we look upon it as only one of the 
many instances which show his strong character, that even 
though he was brought up in a neighborhood where whiskey 
was freely indulged in, he detected the abhorrent side of this 
indulgence, and was able to hold himself aloof from such degra- 
dation. In every pioneer family, save perhaps those of the 
Methodist profession, the whiskey bottle was a common article. 
The Drakes followed the customs of their neighbors, yet neither 
Daniel nor his father drank to excess, or ever enjoyed the antics 
of those who became "fuddled." 

Health. — Dr. Drake's boyhood was remarkably free from 
sickness. He attributed his good health to his surroundings 
and manner of living. Beyond a doubt, he had ample oppor- 

52 



PIONEER LIFE 

tunity for good, healthy exercise, but very Httle attention was 
paid to the sanitary conditions of his environment. The region 
abounded in malaria and typhoid. And it is a fact to be won- 
dered at that a child of his delicate build escaped these malig- 
nant germs. Then, too, many of their foods were fried, so that 
being soggy and soaked with grease they would tax even the 
strongest digestion. Every household contained one remedy 
for all ailments, a bottle of tansy "bitters." 

Danger from the Indians.^ — From the pioneer's standpoint, 
•destruction from another source was more to be feared than the 
ravages of disease. Up until the time of Wayne's victory, the 
settlers were never free from the fear of attack by the Indians. 
During the first year of their stay at Mayslick a party of travelers 
had stopped for the night on the Lexington Road about a mile 
away from the settlement. While they were seated around 
their fire, some Indians shot into their midst and killed one of 
the men. At this, the rest of the men all lost their heads, and 
the whole party might have been slaughtered had it not been 
for the presence of mind of one of the women, who ran to a 
chest, broke it open, and, taking out firearms and ammunition, 
called upon the men to fire. They did so, and this, together 
with the extinguishing of their camp-fire, completely routed the 
red men. When word was brought to the settlement, the men 
organized themselves into a searching party, and while they 
were gone all the women and children congregated in one house 
for greater safety. The Indians never made any direct attack 
upon the village. Only occasionally did rumors reach them of 
fighting which really amounted to anything. 

Education. — In these earl}^ days education was not neglected, 
although it was of a very crude kind. Such revered teachers as 
Filson, Sharp, Clark, and Stubbs were unknown in this section, 
and only men of mediocre ability wielded the birch. Before 
moving into the woods back of "The Lick," Daniel had attended 
school for three years, and in that time had learned to read, to 
write a large "joining hand," and to make capitals. This 
knowledge allowed him to make some progress at home. After 
they moved away from the village, and for the next two years, 
he had to study for himself. After this Daniel's father and his 
neighbors did manage to erect a schoolhouse; but they were too 
illiterate to manage it, and were unfortunate in not being able 
to secure teachers with any degree of competence. The whole 

53 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

school studied their lessons aloud, and progress was noted by 
the increase of the noise. 

Going to Church. — Religion was always given due consid- 
eration in settling Mayslick. As soon as their own homes were 
comfortable, they banded themselves together to build a church. 
Not all of the settlers were of the same denomination, but as 
they did not have sufficient funds with which to hire a regular 
preacher, they contented themselves with itinerant preachers 
of any denomination whatever, whenever, and however they 
could be obtained. The whole Drake family were nothing loath 
to walk a distance of two miles to church. The necessary chores 
were done at an early hour. Then if boots were to be worn, 
these were treated with a copious supply of grease and soot. 
Many times in hot weather the children were allowed to go 
barefoot to church. The legs had to be scrubbed extra hard 
and a clean rag applied to any injured toe. The father in his 
rusty black suit, his "biled" shirt, and creaking boots led the 
way. After service there were many greetings to be exchanged. 
But there was no hilarity. All actions were solemn and sub- 
dued as befitted the Sabbath. 

Social Meetings. — The Sunday gatherings were not their 
only social meetings. The pioneers learned to turn some of 
their work into play; and many a happy evening was spent 
either husking corn or paring apples. An evening would be 
decided upon after the corn had been gathered; the neighbors 
would be notified, and both young and old would assemble 
at an early hour. The whiskey bottle circulated freely among 
the men; and it sometimes happened that those who had par- 
ticipated too freely had to be taken home. While the husking 
was going on, competition became lively, and as a result of some 
petty grievance, the evening occasionally ended in a quarrel. 
Quilting bees were popular among the women. They would 
meet early in the afternoon and spend several hours at the task 
of quilting. Then they would all sit down to a groaning table. 
In the evening their husbands and sweethearts would call for 
them, and would be invited to sit down to the "leavings" of the 
feast. After this the chairs and table would be pushed out of 
the way, and good old-fashioned dances would be indulged in 
to the merry scraping of the fiddle. Saturday was the time for 
general hilarity in the village. On that day court held its ses- 
sion; all errands were usually put ofT until the end of the week. 

54 



PIONEER LIFE 

Any kind of excitement was in order. Game fighting, wrestling, 
and all kinds of street faking were permitted. The revelry 
lasted until far into the night; but by the church time on the 
Sabbath all traces of it had disappeared. 

Government. — There was no police force in the village. In 
fact, no village government of any kind had been worked out. 
The United States courts, of course, had jurisdiction over this 
district, but this seemed to be the only organized power of gov- 
ernment that existed here during the early years. The com- 
munity was composed for the most part of God-fearing people. 
This fact in itself is sulBcient to explain the absence of all ex- 
cessive lawlessness which might otherwise ha\'e marked the new 
settlement. 

"The Good Old Times." — In the present day when people 
become discontented with their surroundings, they not infre- 
quently express a wish for the good old times, for the days of 
the pioneer. After reading the letters of Daniel Drake, we feel 
that we cannot altogether sympathize with them in this wish. 
Although our present method of living is yet far from perfect, 
we cannot fail to see that it has many advantages over pioneer 
civilization. It is true that during the last quarter of our pre- 
vious century stress was laid on intellectual development, 
oftentimes at the expense of our physical w^elfare. We realize 
now that this was a mistake, and we are trying to rectify it as 
speedily as possible. It seems well-nigh impossible to cultivate 
the intellect without some sacrifice of physical well-being. A 
brief comparison need only be made between the pioneers and 
our own fellow citizens in order to appreciate the words of a 
modern educator when he said, "Better Socrates with a head- 
ache than a perfectly healthy pig." 



55 



CHAPTER V 
The People of the City 

The Early Residents. — As the ideas and characteristics of 
the members of the family determine the character of the family 
life, so the origin, ideals, and character of the people of the com- 
munity determine the character of the institutions of the com- 
munity. 

PERCENTAGE NATIVE BORN WHITE POPULATION TO TOTAL 
POPULATION. FROM U. S. CENSUS: 19 lo 



CINCINNATI 


79.0%! 


ST. LOUIS 


75.2% 1 


MINN ST PAUL 


73.1^1 


BUFFALO 


7l.59t 1 


BALTIMORE 


70.970 1 


PHILADELPHIA 


69.870 1 


PinSBURGH 


68.9 9(> 1 


SAN. FRANCISCO 


65.9% 1 


DETROIT 


65.1 9fc| 


CLEVEUND 


63.5% 1 


CHICAGO 


62.27o 1 


BOSTON 


61.8% 1 


NEW YORK 


57.5% 1 




CHART I. 

Cincinnati was founded and developed by Americans of 
English descent. During the early period of the city's existence 
people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland pre- 
dominated, with a goodly number from Virginia and farther 
south, together with a sprinkling of New Englanders. 

These were the people who laid out the town, established the 
first schools and the first churches, organized the local govern- 
ment, and inaugurated the city's commercial and industrial 
life. Practically no other influence affected the life of this 
community during the first half century of its existence. 

56 



THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY 

Cincinnati still remains distinctly American. In the year 
1910, 42.6 per cent of the population of Cincinnati were of native- 
born parents, the total white native born being 79 per cent of 
all the inhabitants. This is a larger proportion of native popu- 
lation than for any of the other metropolitan cities of the United 
States. 

The Coming of the Germans. — The population of Cincinnati 
was 2,340 in 1810. This grew to 24,831 in 1830, and to 46,338 
in 1840. Then came the Germans, helping its growth to 115,435 
in 1850, to 161,044 in 1860, and to 216,239 in 1870, and adding 

INCREASE OF POPULATION AND AREA OF CINCINNATI, 1800- 1914 






















































1 

r 
































































y 























• 






lH 


















/' 








^ 
















^y 










^ 














. 

^t^ 


^ 






r^ 


















y/ 










J 














<A' 


r 














c^ 












• 




Af< 


€A 




















/ 






J— 




















/ 






r' 




















/ 




' 
















^-^ 




_^- 


















_ » J 


1-^- 



















70 



eo 






^ 






so 


:s 




o- 


AO 


<o 


30 


5 




lie 


ao 


^ 



1800 '10 '20 '30 '40 '50 '60 '70 'SO '00 1000 '10 '20 
CHART 2. 



a new element to the community life. The unification of the 
German Empire stopped this German immigration. The con- 
sequence was that the population of Cincinnati for a whole 
decade grew less than 900 a year, and it amounted to 225,139 
in 1880. After this it rose more rapidly to 296,908 in 1890, to 
be retarded again until the end of the century. In 1900 there 
were living 325,902 residents within the actual city limits, and 
480,000 persons were within ten miles of Fountain Square. 
More than half of these, over 198,000 in all, were of foreign 
parents paternally, maternally, or both, and of those 198,000 
the Germans numbered 107,000. Of the 58,000 foreign-born, 
38,000 came from Germany. The Germans are now by far our 
most important foreign element, making the citv noteworthy 

57 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

for its music, and adding elements of strength and culture and 
efficiency, for which the Germans are noted. 

The Percentage of Foreign-born. — The United States census 
of 1910 gave Cincinnati a population of 364,463, and this, pro- 
portionately, is estimated to give a population exceeding 400,000 
in 1915. The percentage of foreign-born has long tended to 
decrease, as, for instance, from 17.8 per cent in 1900 to 15.6 per 
cent in 1910, at which date the proportion of foreign-born to 
native was smaller than for any other large American city. 
The actual number also was less in 1910 than in 1900. In no 
other large city did the number of foreigners decrease during 
this decade. In 1915 it was estimated to be 14 per cent, or 
56,000. 

It can be seen, therefore, that Cincinnati is in reality an 
English-American community, with a strong infusion of Ger- 
man blood, and a much smaller proportion of Italian, Greek, 
Balkan, and Hungarian population than many other American 
cities. The Jews are present in large numbers. The Irish are 
strong; Spanish, Mexicans, and a few Chinese work in res- 
taurants and laundries. A large number of negroes inhabit 
the lower parts of the city, with a considerable negro population 
on Walnut Hills. 

Somewhat more than one-seventh of the whites in Cin- 
cinnati are foreign-born. This is fewer than in other large 
American cities, but more than in the country as a whole. The 
absence of a large foreign population is a distinctive character- 
istic of Cincinnati, and has contributed materially to its slow 
growth in population. As stated above, 79 per cent of the pop- 
ulation in 1910 were native born. 

The Newer Immigration. — The newer immigration of Rus- 
sians, Italians, Hungarians, Servians, Greeks, Rumanians, 
which especially needs Americanization, numbers less than a 
third of the total foreign-born, or about 17,000 of the new im- 
migration to 39,000 of the old. This number of new immigrants 
takes no account of the numerous transients or of the many 
aliens living just outside of the city limits, and it is to be com- 
pared with certain estimates, varying from 25,000 to 30,000, 
made by men engaged in religious and social service for im- 
migrants of Cincinnati and district. 

The 1910 census lists the newer immigration to Cincinnati 
from the countries whence it came as follows: Hungary, 6,344; 

58 



THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY 

Russia, 4,999; Italy, 2,245; Austria, 1,638; Turkey, 525; Ru- 
mania, 454; Greece, 180; and other countries, 398; making a 
total of 16,783. 

It is better to classify them by race than by countries; for 
national boundaries do not follow racial divisions. Out of 
Hungary have come to Cincinnati more Rumanians than Hun- 
garians, and also most of our Serbians, while nearly all of our 
Russians are Jews. 

Some Germans still need Americanization, which the large 
American population of German descent may be trusted to 
give them. The American Jews care generously and wisely for 
their own immigrants, who come largely from Russia, Poland, 
Hungary, and Rumania, with some Spanols from Turkey. 

The non-naturalized Jews, Rumanians, Hungarians, and 
Italians number several thousand each in the order named; the 
Syrians, Greeks, and Serbians each several hundreds; and there 
are smaller numbers of other sorts. Fifteen nations presented 
candidates for naturalization in June, 1915; but the transient 
Macedonians, Bulgarians, Albanians, and many others have 
little opportunity for education or naturalization, and simply 
work on railroads or factories in droves, save money, and return 
nearly as ignorant as they came. 

The men of the newer immigration outnumber the women. 
The city has more than 8,000 non-naturalized men of voting 
age, not counting transients, and many of the boys are ap- 
proaching their majority. They are good material for American 
citizenship. The proportion of population of adult male aliens 
(non-naturalized foreigners) is less in Cincinnati than in other 
cities. 

Needs of Immigrants.- — Immigrants need (1) transportation 
and distribution; (2) employment; (3) standardization' of liv- 
ing; (4) savings, investment, and credit facilities; (5) education; 
(6) naturalization; and (7) care of their dependent persons. 

Transportation and Distribution. — Only' at New York does 
the United States Government so much as see the immigrant 
aboard his train. Cleveland is the only city government that 
meets him upon arri\'al to guide him to his destination or help 
him on his way. Usually he is left to extortionate porters, ex- 
pressmen, cabmen, hotel runners, and exploiters of every sort. 
Cincinnati depends upon volunteer social service for his inter- 
preters and guides. The need of the immigrant is partially met 

59 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

by welfare organizations, such as the Immigrant Welfare Com- 
mittee. Inadequate supervision of transportation and distri- 
bution of the foreign passengers leaves women a prey to pro- 
curers, congests immigrants in certain quarters of the city in 
foreign colonies, where they hear their own language and live 
their old life, and thus hinders their proper employment and 
especially their Americanization. 

Employment of Immigrants. — The general employment 
problem of Cincinnati always includes the foreign immigrant, 
who is served only after the citizen with family has been at- 
tended to. Unguided immigrants must take the common labor 
most easily found, without regard to their c}ualifications. Thus 
peasants and farmers enter the mines or crowded factories, while 
badly needed elsewhere. In Cincinnati the State-City Free 
Labor Exchange cooperates with the Immigrant Welfare Com- 
mittee and other social service and private agencies to employ 
the immigrant. National-municipal employment service may 
well supersede state-municipal service, since state lines do not 
define labor markets. Furthermore, Cincinnati immigrant 
labor easily overflows state boundaries across the river iilto 
Kentucky, or even Indiana, where the Ohio government can- 
not supervise it. 

American Standardization of Living. — Generally immi- 
grants are overcrowded in poor houses in unfavorable localities 
in the lower part or center of the town, with bad sanitation and 
lax regulation of morals. They recei\e low^ wages, from which 
they must save for seasons of constantly recurring unemploy- 
ment by living below American standards. In coming into 
American cities these foreigners have left behind their native 
customs without knowing American ways. They need govern- 
mental protection against overcrowding, poor housing, unsanitary 
conditions, and lack of bathing facilities. But what they need 
most is instruction in the English language and domestic educa- 
tion in school and home. They need social centers, clubs, or 
national or international social institutions outside of saloons. 
These should be open daily, and all the year round. Cincinnati 
shares all these needs with other cities of America. Only a be- 
ginning has l)een made toward meeting them. 

Savings, Investments, and Credit. — Many immigrants econ- 
omize to the point of self-deprivation and save large proportions 
of small earnings. But exploiters prev upon them. Untrust- 

60 



THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY 

worthy land and employment agents defraud them. Saloons 
and pool rooms are always open. There are some agencies to 
counteract this downward tendency. For instance, the Jewish 
Social Settlement gives savings, loan and investment, social, and 
educational opportunities to immigrant Jews which are highly 
appreciated; but other foreign immigrants save for their own 
clubs, are left largely to learn by costly and often very bitter 
experience. Proper rural credits could easily make independent 
farmers of many hardworking laborers now too often unem- 
ployed or employed in unsuitable occupations. Trustworthy 
agricultural colonies and working men's home projects need 
to be introduced more fully to Cincinnati immigrants. 




(Photo by Felix J. Koch) 
CLASS AT SCHOOL OF NATURALIZATION 



Education. — In the United States more than 1,500,000 
white immigrants over 10 years old are illiterate. Of 900,000 
between 15 and 20 years of age, not more than 12 per cent go 
to school; 2,500,000 over 21 years old cannot speak English; 
and only 36,000 of them are going to night or day school to 
learn it. There is no compulsory education law for them, and 
only inadequate private or municipal efforts are made to ed- 
ucate them. 

In 1910 only 7.9 per cent of the foreign-born males of voting- 
age in Cincinnati were illiterate. This is a lower percentage 
than in any other large city of the United States. 

61 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Since 1909 Cincinnati has maintained growing public night 
school classes in English for foreigners. These are largely con- 
centrated in the Sherman School, which teaches 300 to 400 in 
eleven classes during October to May. Similar classes have 
been opened elsewhere in the Peaslee School and Sands School 
and Dyer School, for the convenience of immigrants of their 
districts. The Jews have their settlement and Hebrew Men's 
Association. Christian religious and social service organizations 
have English classes in churches or schoolrooms for Italians, 
Rumanians, Syrians, and so on, that are of neighborly value 
also to the immigrants. The public schools, on the whole, arc 
best prepared to teach language to immigrants, as they are to 
Americans. They have the trained teachers, equipment, books, 
and experience. Mission classes and classes voluntarily taught 
may, however, greatly increase their own efficiency under super- 
\ision of the public school authorities. 

Naturalization. — More than half the foreign-born white 
adult males in the United States are not naturalized. More 
than 3,500,000 of them are eligible for citizenship, and then 
more than 500,000 have their "first papers." The extension of 
equal suffrage would make 5,000,000 foreign-born women 
eligible for the ballot. 

Public authorities as a rule have not tried to prepare aliens 
for citizenship, and there is no governmental agency to direct 
them toward intelligent participation in American public affairs. 
In March, 1915, a third of the candidates for naturalization in 
Cincinnati failed to pass their examinations in court for want of 
knowledge of government. Since then a majority of the can- 
didates for early naturalization have attended a night school 
course. This course leads to diplomas at the Sherman School, 
Eighth and Mound, and is acceptable to the court as evidence 
of intellectual fitness without further examination. Candidates 
for later naturalization are given a fuller course of preparation 
for citizenship in the same school. Lectures on citizenship at 
the Young Men's Christian Association, Seventh and Walnut, 
and citizenship classes in the Jewish Social Settlement, Clinton 
Street, and in one or more mission night schools are attended 
by many candidates for naturalization. The immigrant once 
having learned to read and write English is capable of rapid 
Americanization by the direct approach of friendly American 
citizens, who ma\- well prize this opportunity for service and 

62 



THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY 

mutual acquaintance. Some of the immigrants in their own 
land are well trained. One can meet those who read Homer 
and Ruskin and the poetry of Dante; actors, writers, members 
of good, intelligent families,, eating their hearts out in silence, 
degradation, debt, and obscurity, for want of proper welcome 
and aid. Some have risen above their limitations and become 
in turn helpers of hundreds of thousands of their fellow sufferers. 
They went "to prepare a place" for the rest. It is such as they 
from whom suggestions for the real need of the immigrant will 
best come. 

Delinquents, Dependents, and Defectives. — Alien delin- 
quents have received more attention than dependents and de- 
fectives. Immigration has not increased crime. Alien crim- 
inality is attributable largely to congestion in cities; and most 
delinquencies are minor, for instance, peddling without licenses. 
Dependency is a serious problem. The States believe that the 
national government should here bear or share the responsi- 
bility. Investigations are being made into the number of alien 
public charges, and the extent to which immigration has in- 
creased the number of insane. In Cincinnati, as elsewhere, the 
courts, public employment offices, hospitals, and other relief 
agencies need adequate interpreters, holding licenses revokable 
for the neglect or exploitation of aliens. The courts should also 
prevent exorbitant charges by bondsmen and other persons, in 
many cases foreign-born themselves, who make a business of 
profiting by the arrest of immigrants. 

The immigrants of the newer sorts (as of the older) are 
healthy, vigorous, ambitious, and aspiring. With reasonable 
consideration by government and citizens, they may all become 
desirable American citizens. 



63 



Protection of Life and Property 



CHAPTER VI 

The Public Health 

In a broad sense, it can be said that the key to continued 
good health for both the individual and the community is clean- 
liness. The duty of the individual, therefore, is so to conduct 
himself that he shall neither contract a preventable illness nor 
be the cause of spreading illness to his neighbor. 

Frequently individuals resent precautions taken by the 
public officials to limit the spread of communicable diseases, 
claiming that they are being deprived of their personal liberty. 
Such persons fail to discriminate between liberty and license. 
"One man's personal liberty ends where another man's personal 
liberty begins." Sickness often leads to permanent disability. 
Those permanently disabled become dependents and must be 
cared for by the general public through general taxation. No 
man has an inherent right so to conduct himself that, as a result 
of his actions, he transforms himself into a dependent member 
of society, and so forces some other man or men to support him. 

The adoption of methods to preserve the health of individual 
members of the community is of comparatively recent origin. 
While certain crude precautions have been taken at all times 
during the world's history, many were without value and had 
no scientific basis. 

The methods adopted operate through a number of agencies. 
In a general way, their field includes supervision of the air we 
breathe, the houses in which we live, the soil on which our 
places of abode or occupation are built, the food we eat, the 
water we drink, the disposal of our waste products, the care of 
those sick with communicable diseases, and even means for our 
recreation. 

HEALTH DEPARTMENTS 

Legislatures, recognizing the value of good health, have 
passed laws making it compulsory for cities to organize depart- 
ments of health. States also have their boards or departments 

67 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

of health, and our national go\ernmcMit has established a bu- 
reau for work in tliis impontant field. 

United States Public Health Service. — ^This organization is 
doing work about which comparatively few individuals know 
anything at all. Its representatives can be fotuid in all parts 
of the world, especialh' in those parts in which cholera, the 
l^lague, typhus fever, malaria fever, smallpox, and other com- 
municable diseases are prevalent, which may reach our shores 
in the ordinary exchange of commercial products. 

The men connected with this service are highly trained ex- 
]x^rts: and while their chief duty is the exclusion of disease from 
our shores, they perform invaluable service in tracing sources 
of ejiidcmics occurring in the United States, in determining the 
methods of transmission of diseases not yet understood, in lo- 
cating sources of pollution occurring in public water supplies, 
and in laboratory study of unsolved public health problems. 

State Boards of Health. — The State Board of Health for 
Ohio, with offices located in Columbus, consists of seven mem- 
bers appointed by the Governor and the Attorney General. 

This board has supervision of all matters relating to the 
preservation of the life and health of the people of the state, 
and has supreme authority in quarantine matters. It has the 
power to make general sanitary regulations, and to make and 
enforce orders in local matters when emergency exists. Its 
work is highh" efficient. Its monthly bulletin, "The Ohio 
Public Health Journal," is recognized abroad as one of the 
best issued in this country. 

Cincinnati Department of Health. — Under the laws of the 
State of Ohio, departments of health, unless otherwise provided 
for in a special charter, are under the control of a Board of 
Health consisting of five members and the mayor, who is pres- 
ident of the board by reason of his office. Appointments are 
made for a period of five years, one vacancy occurring each year. 

The Cincinnati Department of Health is created and con- 
tinued in accordance with this law. Its work is carried on under 
se\en main dixisions, nameU": 

Administration, Laboratory, 

Medical Inspection, Tuberculosis Dispensary, 

Sanitary Inspection. Vital Statistics. 

Food Inspection, 

68 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 

Medical Inspection and Relief. — The work of this division 
includes medical relief for the poor sick, surveillance over com- 
municable diseases, operation of the dental clinic, and operation 
of pure milk stations in summer. 

Every year thousands of sick poor people are visited in 
their homes or are seen in the offices of the district physicians. 
In this way many communicable diseases are discovered in 
children who have been absent from school, but without medical 
attendance, the parents not knowing the cause of what they 
thought to be an unimportant, transient indisposition. 

Inspections are made to discover physical conditions that 
lower school efficiency, such as enlarged tonsils, the presence of 
adenoids, or some defect in sight or hearing. Cases found are 
referred to family physicians, clinics, or hospitals for treatment. 
Additional inspections are made to detect conditions which 
may handicap one's efficiency through adult life or render one 
wholly dependent, such as curvature of the spine, bone and 
joint disease, epilepsy, St. Vitus' dance, etc. When discovered, 
every effort is made to procure proper treatment at a time when 
permanent cure can be expected. 

Thousands of children receive treatment in the free dental 
clinic every year. This results in a higher percentage of at- 
tendance in school and a higher average scholarship of those 
attending. 

The school nurse attends to minor conditions under the 
direction of the district physician. She visits in the families 
of the children, instructing parents in infant hygiene; follows 
up the recommendations of the district physician in securing 
glasses or in procuring operations where necessary; gives treat- 
ments in babies' sore eyes, thereby preventing blindness; over- 
sees the work in the pure milk stations, and in numerous other 
ways aids in bringing about a higher average condition of 
health. 

Special attention is directed to the care and treatment of 
those children who are anaemic because of disease or insufficient 
food, practically all of these being on the border line of tu- 
berculosis. Special care is given to those children in the open 
air schools. 

All communicable diseases are reportable, and their proper 
isolation is a part of the work of this division. Quarantine is 
maintained throughout the disease and for a variable period 

69 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

(depending upon the disease) following recovery. In cases of 
smallpox every person known to have been exposed is vac- 
cinated. Diphtheria, scarlet fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis, 
etc., call for close supervision, and their control is largely a 
matter of quarantine. In all cases of diphtheria, scarlet fever, 
and typhoid fever, the source of the milk supply in the family 
is investigated, for the reason that these diseases are sometimes 
spread through an infected milk supply. 

"Better babies contests" and "little mothers' clubs" are 
organized for the purpose of spreading information as to the 
care of infants. 

Sanitary Inspection. — Under this division fall inspections of 
bakeshop, barbershop, and saloon; surveillance over water sup- 
plies, sewage disposal, ventilation, plumbing, stagnant pools 
and ponds, and improper drainage, and the sanitary condition 
of homes, theaters, business houses, workshops, and factories. 
For example, cases of typhoid fever occurring in a family using 
cistern, well, or spring water call for an investigation of the 
water, and this investigation is made by this division. 

The use of well water is always dangerous. The clearest, 
most sparkling water may carry deadly typhoid germs. For- 
tunately Cincinnatians are supplied pure water by the city 
water works, so that wells are unnecessary. The Health De- 
partment is active in securing the abandonment of wells or 
cisterns, and will test free of charge any water submitted for 
such purpose. 

During the past five years over ten thousand sewer con- 
nections have been made, largely because of the activity of 
this department, and an equal number of outside closets have 
been abandoned and filled. 

Nothing is more important to the health of a community 
than proper disposal of wastes. 

Food Inspection. — The health of a community also depends 
in large part upon the purity of the food supply, and this ap- 
plies particularly to the infant population. It has long been 
recognized that infant mortality, due to intestinal diseases, is 
greatly influenced by the purity or lack of purity of the milk 
supply. In fact, it can be said that the mortality rate from 
intestinal diseases in infants undef- two years of age is an index 
to the purity of the milk supply used by these infants. 

Milk and dairy inspection in Cincinnati has' reached a state 

70 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 

of perfection rarely found in large cities. The results, due to 
this work and other educational factors, are shown in the rapid 
decline in the number of deaths among infants under two years 

DIARRHEA AND ENTERITIS fUNDER TWO YEARS) 
Death Rate in Cincinnati, compared with the average death rate of registration cities 
, in the United States. Compiled from U. S. Mortality Statistics. 



1 


250 




























250 


20O 




























200 

150 


ISO 




























100 


























too 


50 


















^^^^ 


^ijiiii"^ 


^ 


~~— . 


^■•a 


^50 
































§ p .^ S S S .§ .Q .§ .8 9 - -^ g 



Cincinnati Death Rate 

CHART 3. 



■ Average Death Rate 



from intestinal disorders. The death rate from this cause in 
Cincinnati is much below the average rate of the registration 
cities of the United States, as shown by chart 3. 

In presenting the figures which follow, it is well to bear in 
mind that our population has increased from 364,463 in 1910, 
to about 402,000 in 1914. 





Dairies Under 


Av- 


erage Bacterial 


Deaths 


Under 2 Years. 


Year. 


Inspection. 




Coimt. 


Intestinal Diseases. 


1910 


350 




5,500,000 




378 


1911 


3,500 




770,000 




272 


1912 


3,500 




520,000 




272 


1913 


3,500 




460,000 




245 


1914 


3,500 




410,000 




229 



At present, all milk, with the exception of that certified and 
inspected, is pasteurized. This means that it is heated to a 
temperature of 146 degrees Fahrenheit, held at that heat for 
thirty minutes, and then quickly cooled to 50 degrees Fahren- 
heit. This adds to its keeping qualities and destroys all dis- 
ease germs, such as those causing typhoid fever, diphtheria, 
scarlet fever, septic sore throat, infantile diarrhea, and foot 
and mouth disease. 

Meat inspection in Cincinnati is comparable in efficiency 
with that of the Federal Government. Meat and dairy in- 

71 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

spectors must be graduates of a recognized school of veterinar\- 
medicine, must have a state license, and must pass a civil service 
examination. All meat offered for sale must bear the inspec- 
tion stamp of the United States Government or city meat in- 
spection service. 

In addition to meat and milk, inspection is given to all 
varieties of food offered for sale and of all places where it is 
manufactured, stored, sold, or processed. Decayed articles of 
food, such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and eggs, and adul- 
terated food products of many kinds have been seized and de- 
stroyed by the Health Department. 

Laboratory. — In the old days, sight, smell, and taste were 
the guides to purity of foods, or the sole aids in arriving at a 
diagnosis in disease. Chemistry and bacteriolog\' now furnish 
a more accurate and conclusive means to this end. 

Milk and a wide \ariety of other foods are submitted for 
chemical examination, the object in the majority of cases being 
to disco^■er the Aariety and degree of adulteration. Licjuors 
and various powders ("dope") are tested to decide the char- 
acter of drug contained. Water suspected of being the source 
of typhoid fever has its character determined, and on the result 
depends further action by the department. Water found to l)c 
polluted is condemned, and connections with the city water 
mains are forced. Tests are made in theaters, churches, mov-ing 
picture shows, schoolrooms, etc., to determine the purit>- of the 
atmosphere. The contents of swimming pools are also ex- 
amined to determine the presence of pollution. 

The bacteriologist examines specimens from the throats of 
children for the presence of the germ causing diphtheria; sputum 
from those suspected of having tuberculosis, for the tubercle 
bacillus; blood from those suspected of being ill from malaria 
or typhoid; and the brains of dogs thought to have been suffering 
from hydrophobia. 

During 1914 the laboratory made nearly 24,000 examina- 
tions, the average cost being a little over fifteen cents, the 
cheapest municipal service in the country. 

Tuberculosis Dispensary. — Through the Anti-Tuberculosis 
League and the Health Department, a tulierculosis dispensary 
is maintained for the treatment of tuberculous patients. Reg- 
ular clinic hours are held, and examinations, advice, and med- 
icine art' furnished free of cost. 

72 



. THE PUBLIC HEALTH 

Cases are followed up in the home by nurses, and advice is 
given on home hygiene, the object being to prevent additional 
members of the same household from becoming infected. A 
large percentage of first-stage cases are cured, and many second 
and third-stage cases receive marked benefit. 

Vital Statistics. — A record of births and deaths occurring 
in the community is kept. These records are of enormous im- 
portance. Death records immediately direct the attention of 
the department to unusual prevalence of preventable diseases, 
and automaticalh- place in operation preventive measures. 
They are also necessary for the settling of estates in cases con- 
cerning the persons and property of minors, for the collection of 
life insurance, and for securing widows' pensions. 

Birth records are necessary to prove age and relationship 
in the enforcement of compulsory education and child labor 
laws, to establish nativity, and in various other ways. 

All these things are done by the city at the expense of the 
whole people in order to preserve the lives and health of our 
citizens. It is only within the last hundred years or so that 
cities have taken much thought or many steps toward preserv- 
ing public health. As late as thirty years after the founding of 
Cincinnati, and when the population was about 20,000, mu- 
nicipal expense of this sort in 1829 was but $747.44. The present 
annual expense is about S100,000. Much more than this could 
be spent to very good advantage. For nothing can be more 
important or of greater value to the public than those things 
which should tend to preserve the lives of the people. 

Hospitals. — The city in its General Hospital has one of the 
finest in the United States, probably as good as any in the world. 
General medical and surgical conditions are handled in this 
hospital. Special wards are set aside for contagious diseases, 
such as diphtheria and scarlet fever. This is done in the en- 
deavor to limit the spread of these destroyers of child life. 

A particularly anomalous condition is presented in the fact 
that the indigent citizen is able to receive attention that the 
average taxpayer is unable to afford in his home. 

The Tuberculosis Hospital, located in the western hills, is 
performing valuable work in limiting the spread of tuberculosis. 
It is estimated that each case cured in this institution or each 
person confined in it saves three other individuals from con- 
tracting the disease. I'nder ideal conditions, tuberculosis can 

7?, 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



be treated in the home with Uttle danger to the other inmates; 
but the trouble Hes in the fact that these ideal conditions are 
seldom found. Tuberculosis running through families for sev- 
eral generations is due to conditions in the homes of these fam- 
ilies, and not through inheritance of the disease. Wider knowl- 
edge of home sanitation will do wonders in reducing our tubercu- 
losis rate. 

Anti-Tuberculosis League. — This organization, sujjported by 
popular subscriptions, has for its purpose the education of the 
public concerning the cause and spread of tuberculosis. This 
is accomplished by personal visits of nurses to the homes of the 
afflicted, the individual and his family being instructed in 




" BAMFORD HILLS " 

proper methods of living so that cure may be brought about, 
and those who are exposed to the disease well guarded against 
infection; by lectures to mothers' clubs, labor unions, and 
school children; by operating a clinic where those ill with the 
disease receive medical treatment and advice; by arranging for 
better food in the homes of the poor people; and by conducling 
summer camps in the country for afflicted children, such as 
"Bamford Hills," on the Little Miami River. 

Through the efforts of this organization, combined with 
the work of the Tuberculosis Hospital and the Tuberculosis Dis- 
pensary, in spite of the inadequate financial support, the death 
rate from tuberculosis in Cincinnati has been reduced from 281 
per 100,000 population in 1910 to 239 per 100,000 population in 
1914. This record of progress, while encouraging, is far from 
satisfactorv. 

74 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 



Cincinnati's death rate from tuberculosis is still far above 
that of other American cities. Chart 4 shows that if Cincin- 
nati's rate were as low as the average for the other registration 
cities, 400 fewer people would die of this disease in Cincinnati 
each year. 

TUBERCULOSIS OF THE LUNGS 

Death Rate in Cincinnati, compared with the average death rate of registration cities 

in the United States. Compiled from U. S. Mortality Statistics 



1 

1 


2SO 








y 


- 




s. 






y 








zso 


zoo 


/ 


k 


/ 


y 




s 






y 








zoo 


ISO 




••«. 


.->- 


.." 


— 


«^^ 
















ISO 


too 




















-— — 


■"■•-• 


— 


— 


lOO 


so 




























so 
































O P P -O p -O p p p p =- ^ ^ 5; 



■ Cincinnati Death Rate 

CHART 4. 



- Average Death Rate 



The city's appropriation for anti-tuberculosis work is and 
has been very small; it bears only part of the cost of conducting 
the Tuberculosis Dispensary. Nearly the whole burden of anti- 
tuberculosis work is borne by private subscriptions to the 
Anti-Tuberculosis League. 

Water Supply. — During the early settlement of this country 
fine water abounded on every hand. As communities developed, 
the natural supply became more and more subject to pollution 
with domestic sewage and industrial waste. Intestinal dis- 
eases and dysentery returned time after time in epidemic form. 

In the course of time scientific medicine recognized the re- 
lationship existing between these diseases and a polluted water 
supply; and methods of purification came into use. Boiling and 
the use of house filters were first resorted to. Then finally these 
inadequate methods were superseded by filtration of a city's 
entire supply of water. 

Cincinnati's filtration plant is located at California, Ohio, 
within the city's limits. Raw water is pumped from the Ohio 
River and stands in sedimentation reservoirs for about three 

75 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

days. IJuriiig ihis time about si.\ty-fi\e per cent of the matter 
in suspension, incitiding bacteria, is deposited. The water is 
then led by gravity to the mixing chamber, where it is treated 
by carbonate of lime and iron sulphate. From here it flows by 
gravity to another sedimentation basin, where additional de- 
posit occurs. From this point it flows by gravity to the sand 
filter beds, with a daih' capacity of 96,000,000 gallons. Here 
the filtered water has o\ er ninet>-nine per cent of its suspended 




THE FILTRATION PLANT: CINCINNATI WATER WORKS 

matter, including bacteria, renio\ed. From the filter beds 
(28 by 50 feet in size, and twenty-eight in number) it flows by 
gravity through a six-foot tunnel to the Eastern Avenue pump- 
ing station for distribnition to all parts of the city. It has been 
asserted that the degree of purification obtained in the Cin- 
cinnati filtration plant is unsurpassed by any other plant in 
the world. The water is clear, palatable, and almost absolutely 
pure. 

Immediately following the installation of the filtration plant 
typhoid fever began to decline. During the seven years pr'j- 
ceding filtration, 1,351 deaths were caused by typhoid. During 
the seven years following filtration, 249 deaths were due to this 
cause. With an increase of 50,000 in the population, there has 
been a saving of 1,102 lives from this one disease alone. Ac- 
cording to the Committee of One Hundred on Conservation, 
this means an economic saving to the community of S5, 510, 000, 
a sum sufficient to build about two additionj^il filtration plants, 
and more than enough to cover one-third of the cost of con- 
structing the entire new water works. 

76 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 



Scientists have claimed (and the claim seems to be borne 
out by investigators) that one life saved from death by typhoid 
through an improved water supply means the saving of from 
two to five more from general causes. If this be true, then Cin- 
cinnati's new water works have more than paid for the cost of 
construction in the seven years following their completion. 

CITY OF CINCINNATI 

DEATHS FROM TYPHOID FEVER 



FROM 1900 TO 1914 



250 



150 



i 50 



i 




I 1 ■ 1 ■ 



1900 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 1910 '11 '12 '13 '14 



DISPOSAL OF WASTES 

Sewerage. — Systems of sewerage are constructed for the 
purpose of carrying away household and industrial wastes and 
surface water due to rain and snow. In a general way, these are 
classified as separate or combined systems. As these terms 
imply, the separate system provides separate pipes or conduits 
for domestic wastes and for surface water; while in the com- 
bined system, both surface water and domestic wastes are dis- 
charged through the same conduits. 

Most of the Cincinnati sewers are of the combined type, 
though the systems installed by several of the annexed villages 
originally were of the separate type. Invariably in such cases 
the small sewers provided for household wastes were misused 
by connecting downspouts and gutter inlets to them, and so 
converting them into sewers of the combined type. 

This misuse of the sewers overtaxed their capacity and re- 
sulted in frequently flooded cellars and streets. Such conditions, 
together with a demand in certain sections for new sewerage 
and a necessity for the elimination of the pollution of our water 
courses, Duckcreek, Millcreek, and the Ohio River, constitute 
the sewerage problem in Cincinnati. At the present time the 

77 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

sewage from n population of about 150,000 people is discharged 
into Millcreek, 20,000 into Duckcreek, and 230,000 along the 
Ohio River front. 

Existence of the problem has been recognized for many years, 
but little was done toward its solution until 1912. During that 
year and the year following an extensive investigation of the 
sewage conditions in the city was completed, and the results 
are published in a very comprehensive report. 

This investigation included plans for new sew'erage, relief 
sewerage for overtaxed system.s, trunk intercepting sewers to 
remedy unsanitary conditions in Millcreek, Duckcreek, and the 
Ohio River, and studies and estimates for the ultimate treat- 
ment of the city's sewage before discharge into the Ohio River. 

The conclusion of the city's investigation of Ohio River 
pollution at Cincinnati is that Cincinnati is not at present 
justified in going to the expense of building and operating a 
sewage treatment plant, because it is entirely practicable for the 
present to so treat Ohio River water as to render it safe and vSatis- 
factory for domestic supplies below as well as above Cincinnati. 

Based on the findings of the Cincinnati investigation, the 
people in the fall of 1912 authorized an issue of $3,000,000 in 
bonds for sewer construction. Under this authorization, sewers 
either are under construction or are already completed in Clifton, 
Avondale, Madisonville, Winton Place, Hyde Park, and along 
the course of Millcreek and Duckcreek. 

There is a popular misconception of the purpose of the Mill- 
creek trunk sewer, in that it is assumed that it will be large 
enough to carry the entire flow of Millcreek. This is not the 
case. This sewer and that under construction in Duckcreek arc 
intercepting sewers. This means simply that in dry weather 
they wall intercept the domestic sewage flowing in the combined 
sewers w^hich now discharge into these creeks. In times of storm 
the discharge of the combined sewers in excess of the capacity 
of the intercepting sewers will flow^ down the creeks as at present, 
carrying with it a greatly diluted and comparatively harmless 
sewage. It is roughly estimated that in order to carry the flow 
of Millcreek at times of high water, a circular conduit sixty feet 
in diameter would be needed. Of course such a construction 
would be altogether impracticable. This illustration is sufficient 
to indicate the enormous and prohibitive cost of a sewer large 
enough to convey the waters of Millcreek. 

78 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 

As a part of this sewerage investigation, the city completed 
two important projects which serve not only their purpose in 
the re-design of our sewerage system, but are daily of increasing 
value to the city in all projects for its physical development. 
These projects are: (1) the making of a topographic map of the 
city and its environs, together including 102 square miles of 
area, and (2) the location and platting of all the structures as 
.sewers, water and gas mains, telephone and telegraph conduits 
which are beneath the city's streets. This underground survey 
discovered hundreds of miles of sewers of which the city either 
had no record, or it was incomplete or inaccurate; and for the 




CONSTRUCTION OF MILLCREEK INTERCEPTER SEWER. 1915 



first time there is made available this information, which is of 
great value. No effort should be spared by the city to keep this 
data corrected to date at all times. 

The householder should acquaint himself with the sewerage 
facilities serving his property. Attention should be given not 
only to the main sewers, but also to the pipes connecting the 
houses with these sewers. Too often after particular pains are 
expended in the construction of a sewer does the householder 
permit his plumber to lay a leaky connection to the sewer. 
This may result either in an inflow of ground water and there- 
fore a reduction in the capacity of the sewers, or in the pollution 
6 '79 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



of the soil through leaking sewage. A large proportion of the 
cases of t\phoid fever reported in Cincinnati give a history of 
drinking water from wells, cisterns or springs; and on examina- 
tion two-thirds of these show evidence of sewage pollution. 

The completion of the comprehensive system of sewers for 
Cincinnati is a tremendous and urgent work, and will be com- 
parable in cost and sanitary importance with our system of 
water works. 

Garbage Disposal. — Kitchen waste not only gives rise to 
nuisance due to the odorsi. of decomposition, but is a positive 
menace, because it furnishes a breeding place for flies. The 
usual method of disposal is to collect this 
waste on wagons and remove it to a reduc- 
tion plant, where it passes through a process 
which removes the fat and converts the res- 
idue into fertilizer. This is the process in 
use in Cincinnati, the work being done by 
contract. The reduction plant is the prop- 
erty of the contractor, and the present con- 
tract runs to December 1, 1918, the annual 
cost to the city being $73,960. 

Householders must furnish receptacles 
for this garbage. By the selection of 
galvanized iron receptacles, reasonably uni- 
form in size and appearance, and with water-tight and dog- 
proof lids, citizens can add materially to the efficiency of this 
work in preventing unhealthful conditions. Also, contrary to 
ordinance, many people mix ashes with the garbage, with the 
result that the mixture is rejected by the contractor, and it is 
hauled to dumps by the city, thereby creating a local nuisance. 
Street and Sewer Cleaning and Refuse Disposal. — Many 
residents of our community seem to have little regard for the 
appearance of the streets, if their own personal acts are a cri- 
terion. They not only do not use receptacles placed at street 
corners by the city for papers and refuse, but for household 
waste, such as paper and ashes, as well as garbage, they furnish 
all sorts of containers, ranging from cardboard boxes to old 
flour barrels. The public should have sufficient civic pride in 
the appearance and cleanliness of our streets and alleys to fur- 
nish proper receptacles for all refuse, ashes, rubbish, sweepings, 
and garbage. 

80 




Paper and trash should 

not be thrown upon 

the streets 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 



One problem in connection with the disposal of refuse in 
our city which deserves more attention than it now receives is 
the condition of our public and semi-public dumps, and the 
character of materials deposited upon them. In themselves, 
the dumps are good things, in that waste lands and unsighth' 
hollows are reclaimed for beneficial uses. Ashes, waste earth, 
and similar materials can be deposited on these dumps to ad- 
vantage, but paper and other combustible materials, or ashes 
mixed with garbage, clearly should not be deposited on these 
dumps; but if of value, as, for instance, paper, they should be 
sold. Otherwise such materials should be burned. 

The Street Cleaning 
Department of New 
York City estimates 
that the additional cost 
of that department 
caused by the throwing 
of waste materials into 
the streets is approxi- 
mately 8270,000 an- 
nually. There is no 
reason to suppose that 
a similar burden is not 
placed upon the taxpayers of Cincinnati, proportionate to its 
size. When it is recognized that in addition to this waste of 
public revenues, all of this material is subject to infection of 
disease germs, the sanitary importance of quick collection and 
effective disposal of it is at once apparent. 

Smoke Abatement. — The air we breathe may become dan- 
gerous to life and health because of the presence of dust, vapors, 
gases, fumes, or smoke, and certain trades are especially dan- 
gerous because of the small particles of animal, vegetable, or 
mineral products given off during the process of manufacture. 
They irritate the nose, throat, and bronchial tubes, often bring- 
ing about a chronic catarrhal condition which makes develop- 
ment of tuberculosis easy. In order to eliminate this danger, the 
State has passed laws providing safety devices in the way of 
powerful exhaust fans which remove the dust-laden atmosphere 
from buildings. Poisonous fumes and gases are eliminated in a 
similar way. 

81 




The kind of receptacles for garbage and refuse that 
should not be used 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



Smoke not only irritates the mucous membranes of the re- 
spiratory tract, but causes numerous losses, clue to the soiling 
of fabrics. At first glance, one might assume that this loss falls 
upon the merchant; but this assumption is not correct, for 

goods not soiled are sold at a high 
price in order to meet the loss due to 
soiling. In the end the loss is borne 
l)y the general public. The annual 
loss in Cincinnati due to smoke has 
been roughly estimated at $6,000,000. 
In order to eliminate this source of 
disease and loss, the state has pro- 
vided laws co\ering the production of 
smoke, and defining what constitutes 
a "smoke nuisance." Also the cit>' 
of Cincinnati has formulated a "fur- 
nace and stack code," in accordance 
with which all power installations 
must be constructed. Careful hand 
stoking of furnaces, the use of me- 
chanical stokers, and the right kind 
of fuel, together with the proper fur- 
nace construction, have done much 
to correct the smoke evil. The en- 
forcing of this code is in the hands 
of the chief smoke inspector and his 
assistants. While the general sources 
of smoke are the railroad locomotives 
and stationary power plants, the in- 
dividual householder should not rest content with "cussing big 
business," but should recognize that while the smoke from his 
small heating plant may not be of sufficient density to consti- 
tute a violation of the smoke ordinance, it does its little part. 
Collectively, these small plants scatter a tremendous cjuantitA- 
of soot over our community. Attention has been directed 
especially to the fact that while many of these small heating 
plants burn natural gas, thousands use coal, and frequently 
coal of inferior quality. As it is almost impossible for the 
furnace conditions to be changed, the practical remedy for 
smoke from ordinary stoves and furnaces is the use of low \'ol- 
atile fuel. 

82 




Before and after being equipped 
with smoke consuming device 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 



Housing Conditions. — The housing conditions in our city 
have a very direct bearing upon the state of pubHc health. To 
make conditions ideal, co-operation must exist between land- 
lord and tenant. 

The laws provide that the landlord must furnish sufficient 
light and air for all rooms, adequate and sanitary toilets and 
sinks, cleanliness of walls and ceilings, proper lights in halls, 
sufficient drainage of yards; he must correct structural defects, 
and provide sufficient means of egress. 

The tenant must dispose of all garbage, and keep premises 
clean and sanitary. These items are vital to health, and unless 
the tenant conscientiously does his piart, elTorts of the landlord 
are futile. The enforcement of these regulations lies in the 
hands of the tenement inspection service, now (1915) under the 
direction of the Commissioner of Buildings. 

Citizens of the right type cannot be made from children who 
sleep in dark, windowless rooms; in dwellings much overcrowded, 
where privacy is unknown, and the water supply is inadequate; 
where filthy, fly-infested privy vaults are shared by six or eight 
families; where lots are so overcrowded that there is no room 
for flowers, vegetables, or even a grass plot; and the children are 
forced on the street to play. 

There are very few cities in the country that have as large 
a proportion of their people living in tenements as has Cin- 
cinnati. One third of our 
population lives in one-nine- 
teenth of the total area. This 
is undoubtedly owing to the 
peculiar conformation of the 
city, the downtown district 
being surrounded by bluffs 
which made the hilltops diffi- 
cult of access before the in- 
troduction of electric street 
cars. It was during this early 
period that the down-town 
section was built up. 

It is important that these overcrowded sections be made as 
nearly healthy as possible. We have laws, which, if enforced, 
will bring this about. It is important that citizens insist upon 
the enforcement of such laws, and that they be made to realize 

83 




The completion of a rapid transit system will 
help the housing problem 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

that bad housing conditions contribute to ill health, short lives, 
and a low standard of morality. 

The completion of a rapid transit system pro\iding quick 
and cheap transportation between one suburb and another, and 
between the city and suburbs, will go far toward i\ solution of 
the housing problem. Cincinnatians, by becoming acquainted 
with the bad effects upon health and morals due to the present 
congestion of population and improper housing conditions, can 
be in a position to take all possible steps to correct the situation. 

Duty of the Public. — Disease prevention has become a pop- 
ular subject for general discussion. It has led to the formation 
of various societies and brought about many important changes 
in sanitary conditions. People are gradually obtaining a wider 
knowledge of the causes of disease, and are making a concerted 
effort to eliminate these causes. Fresh air societies, anti-tuber- 
culosis leagues, and medical milk commissions have done val- 
uable educational work. 

Medical inspection of school children, improved conditions 
in workshops and factories, closer surveillance over commu- 
nicable diseases, a wider knowledge of infant hygiene, and in- 
creased efficiency of Health Department work in general have 
contributed to this result. Tenement house inspection, the 
elimination of o\er 10,000 pri\y vaults, a higher average san- 
itary condition of the homes in the city generally, flushing of 
streets and alle>s, our new water works, and other conditions 
have all contributed their share toward bringing about a lower- 
ing of the general death rate. The death rate, howe\er, is still 
much higher than it ought to be. 

Every one should take every possible step to contribute to 
a state of better public health. The first thing is to know the 
facts; the next is to know the remedy; the third is to help to 
carry out the remed>-. 

In order that the health agencies of the city render their 
greatest service to the community, there must exist close co- 
operation between these agencies and ali the citizens. With- 
out such cooperation, little can be accomplished. With a keen 
sense of personal responsibility in every citizen, the battle is 
more than half won. The first duty of the citizen is to keep 
his own person and premises clean, and to conform to all health 
regulations. For instance, he should properly care for garbage 
and other waste; he should refrain from throwing refuse into 

84 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH 

the streets, and from spitting on the streets or street cars — the 
one a thoughtless action, and the other a despicable habit, both, 
unfortunately, all too common, and often committed by persons 
who know or should know better. Much may be done by ex- 
ample to prevent others from producing unsanitary conditions. 
Furthermore, it is a citizen's right and duty to influence other 
citizens and officers to perform good work. In recent years there 
has been a remarkable awakening of the people in the United 
States in this matter of public health, as in all other matters 
relating to civic affairs. 

The people are beginning to realize that the best life insur- 
ance is that which prevents or removes unhealthy conditions. 



85 




CHAPTER VII 
The Police Department 

The history of the Cincinnati poHce force 
goes back ahnost to the time when Cincin- 
nati was incorporated as a village in 1802. 
The year following, a night-watch, consisting 
of citizens who served without pay, was 
established. Each watchman carried a 
watchman's rattle as a signal, and a large 
perforated tin lantern. In 1817 the police 
service for night duty consisted only of a 
captain and six assistants. Not until 1834 
were provisions regularly made for the pay- 
ment of persons engaged in police duty. No provisions were 
made for the day- watch until 1842. Two persons were then 
selected for the day-watch and paid at the rate of SI. 25 per day. 
In 1886 a non-partisan police force of the city of Cincinnati 
was created by an act of the Legislature. Four Police Com- 
missioners, not more than two of each political party, were ap- 
pointed by the Governor. Members of the force were examined 
and appointed, regardless of their political or religious affilia- 
tions. The same system is in force to-day, with the exception 
that instead of a board of four commissioners, one man, the 
Director of Public Safety, is in charge of the whole police de- 
partment. He is appointed by and is directly responsible to 
the Mayor. The examinations are held by the Civil Service 
Commission. 

Membership. — Applicants must submit to a thorough phys- 
ical examination, a part of which is an endurance test in running 
on the gymnasium track. This examination is a rigid one, the 
average proportion of those examined who pass being only one 
man in every five. 

Applicants are also required to undergo an examination in 
reading, writing, spelling, a knowledge of the topography of the 



THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

city, and in the criminal laws of the state and ordinances of the 
city, in so far as they apply to the police service. An average 
percentage of seventy is required to place the applicant on the 
eligible list. Appointments are made as vacancies occur, the 
selection being made from the three highest on the list. Any 
elector between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-two is eligible 
to membership on the police force, provided he passes the re- 
quired examination. 

All appointees start as patrolmen. The first year's salary 
is $900. This is increased annually to the fourth year, by which 
time it reaches SI, 100. Any patrolman who has served three 
years, and whose record is clear, is eligible to take an examina- 
tion for promotion. All appointments are made from the grade 
next below. 

All are allowed fourteen days' vacation with pay each year. 
When they are sick they are attended gratis by the police sur- 
geons. Although their regular pay then stops, they are al- 
lowed $1.75 per day from the Relief Association during such a 
sickness. 

A pension system has been established which provides for 
those who have served continuously for twenty-five years and 
have reached the age of fifty years, as well as for those per- 
manently disabled by sickness or from injury, and for the 
families of those killed while in the discharge of police duty. 

The police force in 1915 consisted of 705 members, graded 
as follows: 

1 Chief. 

3 Inspectors. 

1 Lieutenant of Detectives. 

1 Sergeant of Detectives. 
34 Detectives. 
32 Lieutenants. 
32 Sergeants. 

17 Corporals (this rank to be abolished). 
543 Patrolmen. 
28 Drivers (this rank to be abolished). 

9 Station-house keepers (this rank to be abolished). 

4 Matrons. 

Organization. — The city is divided into ten police districts. 
Each has a headquarters, called a station house, at which all 
members assigned to duty in that district report. 

On account of recent annexations and increased area of the 

87 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

city, it heis been found necessary to subdivide the city so as to 
introduce what has been termed "sub-stations." These are 
located in the outlying districts, and are used as a headquarters 
for the police patroling such territory. This plan avoids long 
trips and delays that would occur if the men had to report to 
the regular district headquarters. At each sub-station is sta- 
tioned a patrolman or corporal, whose principal duty is to an- 
swer all calls for police assistance coming from his particular 
district. A motorcycle is used for the purpose of responding 
quickly to all these calls. This motorcycle service has been 
found very satisfactory. 

Each police district is divided into beats so arranged that 
every part of the district is covered both day and night by a 
policeman on duty. The men work in three reliefs of eight 
hours each, reporting for duty at 7 A. M., 3 P. M., and 11 P. M. 
At the hours mentioned, roll call is held, when all necessary in- 
formation and orders are communicated to the men going on 
duty. 

The department is organized on a military basis, the force 
as a whole being taken as a regiment. The Chief of Police is 
titled colonel; the ranking inspector, lieutenant-colonel; two in- 
spectors, as major; then come lieutenants, sergeants, and cor- 
porals; then patrolmen and other subordinates ranking as 
privates. There are ten companies, and the men are drilled at 
stated intervals in the United States Army tactics. 

In addition to the regular district service, there is the de- 
tective department, auto-patrol service, mounted service, and 
traffic police. 

The detective department is principally for the purpose of 
ferreting out crime and arresting criminals. An adjunct of 
the detective department is the bureau of criminal indentifica- 
tion. Here all criminals and numerous suspects are taken for 
examination and measurements. The records made are of very 
great importance to the police in keeping track of this class of 
persons. The Bertillon and finger-print systems are used in 
the Cincinnati bureau, which ranks with the best in the country. 

In the auto-patrol service are ten auto-patrols. The patrols 
are used for hauling prisoners to and from the stations and 
court, remo\ing sick and injured persons to the hospitals, and 
lending aid in all cases of serious accidents and injuries to per- 
sons and property. 



THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

The mounted service is used principally in patroling sparsely 
settled territory in the suburbs, and also in keeping traffic 
moving in the down-town congested streets. 

The traffic police are stationed at the various corners in 
the down-town districts. Their principal duty is to see that 
traffic moves as expeditiously and safely as possible. 




MOUNTED TRAFFIC OFFICER AT WORK 



Duties of the Police. — According to the law, it is the duty of 
policemen at all times of the day and night to preserve the 
public peace within the boundaries of the city; prexent crime; 
arrest offenders; protect rights of persons and property; guard 
the public health; preserxe order; remove nuisances existing in 
the public streets, roads, places, and highways; report all leaks 
or other defects in water pipes and sewers to the proper au- 
thorities; assist at every fire, in order that thereby the firemen 
and property may be protected ; protect strangers and travelers 
at steamboat landings and railway stations; arrest and detain 
any person found \'iolating any law of the state of Ohio or any 
legal ordinance of the city of Cincinnati until a legal warrant 
can be obtained; and generally to enforce and obey all ordi- 
nances of the city and criminal laws of the state and of the 
I'nited States to the best of their ability, and all rules and reg- 
ulations of the police department. 

A book of rules called the "Police Manual" is furnished 
each member upon his appointment. He is required to fa- 
miliarize himself with these rules and regulations, and is fre- 
quently examined as to his knowledge of them. 

89 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

There are several reasons why too often policemen in cities 
do not fully perform the duties imposed upon them. In the 
first place, the members of a community do not all take the 
same attitude toward all ofTenses. While all are agreed eis to 
the treatment of such crimes as murder, arson, robbery, there 
is a great difference of opinion in regard to the treatment of 
such offenses as gambling, certain kinds of entertainment, and 
evasion of the liquor laws. Then the usual disregard of a large 
part of the public of such ordinances as those against the litter- 
ing of streets and those compelling the removal of snow from 
sidewalks also has brought about a spirit of lawlessness among 
certain people. On the other hand, among the religious classes 
there is a tendency to penalize every act which they regard as 
sinful, and at times through state legislation may be seen the 
attempt of rural communities to force upon cities standards of 
morals and living which the inhabitants of the cities as a whole 
do not accept. 

The policemen in any city will be of just as high a type as 
the public demands. A city whose people are indifferent as to 
enforcement of law and lenient toward criminal acts will have 
inferior policemen. A city whose people demand obedience to 
law will have a high type of policemen. It is gratifying to re- 
member that the Cincinnati police force is generally admitted 
to be among the best in the country. In order that the police 
department may do its full duty and enforce the laws, every- 
body should scrupulously obey them and condemn disobedience 
in others whenever found. If this is done public sentiment will 
support a more strict enforcement of law by the police. 

Laws should either be strictly obeyed and enforced, or they 
should be repealed. 

The necessity of selecting men of good character for police- 
men is evident when we remember that "to the rank and file, 
the policeman is the exemplar of our governmental system. He 
is a reality that the most ignorant can comprehend; and upon 
his impartiality, efficiency, intelligence, and good conduct de- 
pend the estimation in which the law is largely held by the 
masses. It is not too much to say that the police, more than 
any other organ of government, influences public and private 
morality and fixes the standard of civic ideals." 

The Chief of Police should be a man who has received his 
appointment free from political influence, and one who is thor- 

90 



THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 

oughly familiar with police business. He should hold office 
during good behavior and efficiency, and should be a man of 
high moral character, firm in upholding the law, but full of 
kindness and consideration for the unfortunate. 

"The ideal policeman," says Dr. Woods Hutchison, "should 
be the wisest, not necessarily the best educated, the broadest- 
minded, the kindliest man on his beat; the first and easiest man 
for anyone in difficulty to tell his troubles to, instead of the 
last and hardest; a combination of outdoor teacher, health 
officer, and walking judge of an open-air children's court for 
children of all ages." In this connection, the policeman of good 
moral character has a great opportunity to give to boys correct 
ideas of law and order. 

Duties of the Public. — The attitude of the public toward the 
policeman is thus a matter of greatest importance in obtaining 
good government. The policeman should be regarded as the 
embodiment of honor and dignity and justice of the law, the 
friend and protector of the people, the counselor of every class 
of unfortunates in distress. All people should feel it their duty 
to assist the policeman in upholding the law, and at all times to 
observe it themselves, and to assist by personal influence and 
active cooperation when necessary. 



91 



CHAPTER VIII 
Fire Prevention and Extinction 




" The buildings consumed, if placed on lots of 65-foot frontage, would line both sides 
of a street extending from New York to Chicago. A person passing along this street of 
desolation would pass in every thousand feet a ruin from which an injured person was 
taken. At every three-quarters of a mile in this journey he would encounter the charred 
remains of a human being who had been burnt to death." 



(From page 12 
the United States. 
Survey.) 



government report "The Fire Tax and Waste of Structural Materials in 
Bulletin 418, Department of the Interior, United States Geological 



Fire Loss. — ^The average annual fire waste in the United 
States is about $250,000,000; necessary fire protective measures 
cost about S60,000,000 more, in all about $3 each year for every 
person in the United States. This is equivalent to $30,000 per 
hour, or burning of a $5,000 home every ten minutes. 

The fire loss in Cincinnati for 1913 was $1,083,181, or $2.77 
per capita. By means of a vigorous clean-up and paint-up 
campaign directed by the Chamber of Commerce, together 
with the activities of others interested in fire prevention, this 
loss was reduced to 8370,537.95 in 1915, a rate of $0.90 per capita. 
The city spends each year for the fire department about $765,000 
($1.91 per capita), which should also be charged to fire cost. 

Contrasted with our experience, the fire loss in European 
cities averages only about 30 cents per capita, a little more 
than one-tenth that for the United States. 

What causes this difference between the fire loss abroad and 
in this country? 

1. Europe makes a larger use of non-C()nibiistil)le building 
material. 

92 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 

2. Better building codes and more stringent enforcement 
of the same prevail in Europe. 

3. Buildings are generally of a lower height and cover 
smaller areas than in American cities. 

4. In some European countries, persons upon whose prem- 
ises fires originate are held responsible for any damage caused 
by the spreading of the fires to other property, and damages 
may be recovered for any loss thus incurred. Only recently 
the Attorney General of Ohio has decided that, under certain 
conditions, a similar ruling applies in Ohio. 

5. The influence of an older civilization makes people the 
more careful of small savings, and in all the affairs of life the>' 
are more cautious than we have yet become in America. 

6. Perhaps the greatest cause for excessive lire waste in 
the United States is the ignorance, carelessness, and indiffer- 
ence of the people in regard to fire waste. 

Fire Insurance. — Fire waste is a tax on all. The insurance 
companies simply collect from all and pay to those who ha\e 
fires, taking for themselves about one-half for the cost of dis- 
tribution and profit. In America this cost is about one per 
cent of the policy value of property insured, whereas in western 
Europe it is about one-tenth of one per cent of the policy value. 

As fire waste is reduced the cost of insurance automatically 
falls in proportion. As a result of the decrease in fire waste in 
Cincinnati in 1914, insurance rates on down-town business 
property were reduced from five to eight per cent below pre- 
vious rates, a net saving to policy holders of perhaps $160,000. 

The great annual fire loss is a tax distributed nation-wide, 
to which all must contribute whether they own property or 
not. It is paid in higher rents, higher prices for food and cloth- 
ing, higher credit rates, and higher interest on loans. "In the 
large, it can be said that every workman pays thus approx- 
imately three dollars yearly for every member of his family 
through either one or all of these channels." 

Fire Prevention. — In addition to the collection and dis- 
tribution of money to pay fire waste, the insurance companies 
of the United States, through the National Board of Under- 
writers, the National Fire Protective Association, and the 
Underwriters' Laboratories, are the greatest single influence for 
fire prevention in America. 

The National Board of Fire Underwriters confines itself to 

93 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

publicity about fire waste and related matters. It promulgates 
recommendations of the other two organizations about all sub- 
jects relating to the construction, protection, and occupation of 
buildings, and to the standardization and improvement of fire- 
fighting methods. 

The Underwriters' Laboratories is conducted by the en- 
gineering branches of the insurance companies. It collects and 
systematizes field observations of inspectors throughout the 
country; conducts tests of materials, equipment, methods con- 
cerning construction, protection and occupation of buildings. 
All electrical, lighting, and fire-prevention devices must first be 
tested and approved by the Underwriters' Laboratories, pro- 
mulgated by the National Fire Protective Association and pub- 
lished by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, or their 
use is penalized through a rise of insurance rates in buildings 
where these devices are used. These organizations determine 
the standards of construction, protection, and occupation of 
buildings. They lend assistance to architects, engineers, build- 
ing engineers, and inspectors by giving them expert advice 
concerning fire prevention. 

The Cincinnati Fire Prevention Bureau, employing a corps 
of engineers, publishes reports and surveys on fire risks in Cin- 
cinnati and vicinity; publishes rates and underwriters' rules; 
advises builders and occupants of ways to reduce the hazards 
of fire for the protection of life and property; and fixes the rate 
reduction earned by the protection. 

The Commissioner of Buildings. — Every city and ev^ery 
State building code includes fire-prevention provisions. Un- 
fortunately, there is no uniformity in them. Some states and 
cities are thus excellently protected, but unless regulations are 
properly enforced they are of little value. Our own building 
regulations are first class. 

No more important duty devolves upon the Commissioner 
of Buildings than that related to fire prevention. It is the busi- 
ness of the individual taxpayer to know that fire prevention 
regulations are good and that they are well enforced. 

Fire Prevention Laws. — Good fire prevention laws, properly 
enforced, immediately reduce the fire risk. For example, with 
the revision of fire-prevention laws in Ohio, the fire waste 
dropped from eleven million dollars to seven million dollars 
aiinualK- within a period of six years. 

94 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 



Correct fire legislation should provide for: 

1. Rigid inspection and regulation of the financial standing 
of insurance companies. 

2. The examination and licensing of agents, so as to pro- 
\ide honest and intelligent insuring of policies. 

3. Laws against improperly constructed or improperly pro- 
tected occupied buildings. 

The State Fire Marshal. — The laws of Ohio provide for all 
of these. The enforcement of fire-prevention laws in Ohio is 
centralized in the State Fire Marshal. He has practically the 
same concentrated control over the buildings as regards fire 
danger that the Board of Health has as regards sanitation. 
He can order buildings demolished or repaired, and has ample 
power to enforce his orders. 

City Fire Department. — In Cincinnati, the city Fire Depart- 
ment carries on inspection of properties, both to know them in 
case of fire and to present in advance conditions which lead 
to fire. 

This department had its origin in the early part of the last 
century, when Cincinnati was a village. The first fire ordinance 
in Cincinnati, passed by the 
village council July 17, 1802, 
provided that every free- 
holder and e\ery person pay- 
ing a rental of thirty-six 
dollars per year must pro- 
vide a leather bucket, and 
contribute the use of it and 
his own exertions whenever 
he should hear a cry of fire. 
Every male citizen between 
16 and 50 years of age was 
required to serve at fires. 

The first building regu- 
lation, passed November 4, 

1805, was a step for fire prevention, and provided that chimneys 
should be built of stone or brick laid in lime mortar, and should 
extend at least one foot and a half above the ridge of the 
building. 

In 1808 a hand fire engine was purchased and the Union 
Fire Company formed. The Cincinnati Fire Bucket Compan\-, 
' 95 




THE OLD FIRE DRUM; USED UNTIL 1824 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



organized at the same time, had an equipment consisting of a 
large willow basket 10 feet long, 6 feet high, on a four-wheel 
truck, and containing leather buckets. Each householder was 
required to keep two buckets on his premises. A gigantic drum 
5 feet high and 16 feet 5 inches in circumference, located on top 
of a carpenter shop at what is now the east end of Fountain 
Square, was used until 1824 as a fire signal. Afterward the 
Presbyterian Church bell, Fourth and Main Streets, was used 
for that purpose until 1845. 

The \olunteer fire departments, of which there were quite 
a number, played a prominent part in the city's affairs for many 
years in politics and social affairs, as well as putting out fires. 
In 1829 there were nine such companies;, with three hundred 

members, who by law were 
exempted from militia duty 
and from laboring on the high- 
ways. Twelve years later the 
number of members had in- 
creased to 833. 

The construction of , the 
first successful steam fire en- 
gine by Alexander Latta, of 
this city, brought about the 
change from volunteer to paid 
firemen in 1853. Miles (Greenwood, a prominent manufacturer, 
was the leader in this movement, and was the first fire chief. 
Greenwood paid a man $1,500 per year to manage his foundry 
while he devoted all his time to the organization of the depart- 
ment. He paid the salary of his assistant chief out of his own 
pocket. For his entire term of office he assigned his own 
salary to the treasury of the Ohio Mechanics' Institute. 

Cincinnati had the first paid fire department in the United 
States, and since its organization it' has maintained a high 
standard of efficiency. At first there were 16 companies, with 
a pay roll of 878,444; there are now 75 companies, with a pa\' 
roll of over vS700,()()0. 

With regard to recent imj^jroxements in the Fire Department, 
the annual city report for 1913 says: "The motorization of the 
department was begun in 1913, with 18 pieces of automol)ile 
apparatus consisting of two automobile pumping engines and 
hose trucks, ten new-t>pe automobile combination "l^oosler 

96 




THE FIRST STEAM FIRE ENGINE 
Made by Latta, in Cincinnati 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 

pump" tank and hose wagons, four district marshals' auto 
runabouts, one automobile chemical engine, and one auto fuel 
truck. There are now twenty-five pieces of automobile appa- 
ratus. With the introduction of the automobile, the flying squad 
system was inaugurated. The principal squad is used to assist 
engine and hook-and-ladder companies in getting speedily to 
work. It makes all first-alarm runs in the down-town congested 
districts and responds to extra alarm fires in factory and other 
"danger risk" districts. A chemical engine flying squad also 
responds to alarms in the congested districts. The auto hose 
wagons are utilized for squad purposes in responding to alarms 
in danger zones in districts contiguous to their territories." 













^\_J.-. ::: 




. ■ -i-V- 




ilillii 


mam 


i 


^^^^^^^^ 


1 


1 




# 



MODERN AUTO FIRE ENGINE. MADE IN CINCINNATI 

The aul(jm(^bile apparatus has already proved its worth in 
time saving and ground covering ability. The squad system has 
worked out successfully, and has prevented and doubtless will 
prevent many bad fires by the quick action secured. The fur- 
ther addition of automobile apparatus will make it possible to 
reduce the number of fire stations, the number of men. and the 
cost of operating the department, and at the same time increase 
its efficiency. 

Fire Department Inspections. — All the above activities of 
the fire department are for the purpose of extinguishing fires. 
Until the past few years it was not considered the duty of fire 
departments to help to prevent fires. 

Now we have come to realize that with this subject, as witli 
other public problems, prevention is of the utmost importance. 
So in 1912 firemen began to inspect the buildings of the city. 
In 1915 this work was regularly organized, and in the first six 
months of 191,S. 28,1 liS regular inspections were made in addi- 

97 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

lion to 10,790 inspections as a result of reports from the Chamber 
of Commerce "(lean-up and Paint-up" campaign. If these 
inspections are continued at their present (1915) standard for 
a few years, it is beheved that they will contribute materially 
to a permanent reduction in the fire waste of Cincinnati. 

High Pressure Water System. — The construction of tall 
buildings in the business districts has made the fire protection 
furnished by fire engines inadequate. So the most recent im- 
provement contemplated is a high-pressure water system. 
Water will be supplied at a pressure of from 250 to 300 pounds 
per scjuare inch, sufficient to reach the tops of tall buildings. 
It is ])rop()sed to construct a separate system of water mains 
in the down-town streets leading from a high-pressure pumping 
station to be located perhaps near the Gilbert Avenue viaduct. 
This will make fire engines unnecessary in the down-town busi- 
ness district, and will more completely protect the city from 
fire loss. Some of the wati'r mains for this system already have 
been laid. 

Duty of the Public. — The moxement for better fire protec- 
tion should receive the support of all people. Every citiz.en has 
the authority to report damages or illegal conditions noted in 
any building, and he shotild insist upon prompt and effective 
corrections of the same. Fire prevention is a personal re- 
sponsibilit}' on e\ cry man, woman, and child. The individual 
should l)e informed as to thi' \arious causes of fire; and it should 
be a part of his e\eryday life to pre\ent those things which may 
cause unneccssar\- and careless destruction of property. 

It is most imjiortant that buildings be provided with proper 
exits, and, when needed, with fire escapes, and that all precau- 
tions in construction be observed. But after all, most fires arc 
caused by simple carelessness, and are due to the careless acts 
ot conmiission or omission of some person. 

As this is true, so is it important that e.xits be not obstructed, 
and that fire escapes and stairways be kept always free from 
obstruction. 

Clean-up and paint-up campaigns, as conducted the past 
few >ears, are most valuable factors in removing the causes of 
fires. Everyone should cooperate in this movement, not only 
because by so doing he will make his own premises safer, but 
because at the same time he will but oft'er wholesome example 
to others. 

98 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 

We have come to realize that none of us has a right to main- 
tain conditions upon his own premises that endanger the lives 
and property of his neighbors. The law now recognizes this 
principle by giving large powers to the State Fire Marshal and 
the city Fire Department. It is especially important that boys 
and girls, soon to become men and women, know about the 
importance of fire pnjtection and their duties in regard to it. 

The following outline, originally prepared and published 
by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce several years ago, 
will be found useful in impressing upon the mind the principal 
causes of fire and the means of its pre\ention. 

FIRE PREVENTION 
A. — The Fire Waste: Its Economic Significance. 

Property Burned Is Gone Forever. — A burned city does not 
replace itself. Fire insurance does not replace lost property. 

Food, clothing, and shelter are produced only by human 
effort, hence labor expended in replacing waste is withdrawn 
from legitimate human needs. 

National waste impoverishes the nation as family waste 
impoverishes the household. 

The fire waste is not really paid for by insurance companies. 

Fire insurance is added by manufacturers and merchants 
to the cost of the goods, and whoever buys a loaf of bread, a 
hat, a coat, or shoe pays it. The cost of the fire tax is concealed in 
the price of the goods. Every fire is paid for by all the people. 
Insurance is collected from all and paid to him who has a fire; 
hence the man who has a fire intentionally or unintentionally 
takes money from the pockets of his neighbors. F"ire insurance 
is an assessment upon all to pay to one; hence every fire makes 
every man's struggle for a living harder by compelling him to 
spend for his neighbor's waste what he might otherwise spentl 
for his own comfort. 

B. — The Fire Waste: Causes and Prevention. 
Fires Start From: 

Lack of Cleanliness. — Rubbish heaps are fire breeders. 
Fires start in them and are fed by them. A clean city will have 
few fires. Attics, closets, and cellars should be kept free from 
combustible accumulations. 

99 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Ashes should be kept only in metal cans, and never care- 
lessly disposed against wooden fences or other combustible 
surfaces. 

Burning trash or autumn leaves are very Hkely to cause 
tires when too near buildings. 

Smoking. — The careless use of pipes, cigars, and cigarettes 
causes countless fires. 

Smoking in factories, mills, warehouses and shops, stables, 
garages, etc., should be absolutely prohibited. 

Sawdust should never l)e used in cuspidors. 

Matches. — The match is designed to start fires, and it does. 

A single match may cause the l)urning of a city. Most 
fires are of the same size when they stiirt. 

A thoughtful husband or father will ha\e no matches in 
his home e.\cept those which light only on the bo.x. Such matches 
if accidentally dropped or secured by young children cannot be 
ignited on any ordinary surface. Hundreds of children are 
burned to death every year playing with the "strike anywhere" 
match. (liildren should nc\"er be permitted to play with 
matches. 

No match which can accidentally ignite under foot or be 
ignited by rats or mice should be allowed in the home, store, or 
factory. Matches should never be thrown away while lighted. 

Lighting Devices. — Defective electric wiring: All wiring 
should be done by competent electricians only, and inspected 
before current is turned on. Electric light bulbs should never 
be covered by cloth or paper shades or decorations. 

Exposed gas jets: Curtains and draperies may be blown 
against gas jets by draughts from open windows. Adjustable 
gas brackets should be guarded by stops and the flame enclosed 
In- wire globes. 

Kerosene lamps: These should l)e kept scrupulously clean 
and should never be filled after dark. Private gasoline vapor 
or acetylene lighting plants should be frequently inspected and 
kept in strict conformance with safety requirements. 

Candles: These should never be taken into closets or other 
jilaces where they may ignite inflammable materials. 

Heating. — ^Defective chimneys and flues: Public authorities 
should certify to the proper chimney construction of e\'er\- 
house. Builders can easily co\'er up dishonest intent or crim- 
inal negligence in chimney building. 

100 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 

Neglected furnaces: Fires should never be relighted until 
the furnace is overhauled. Pipes rust during the summer and 
may deliver sparks to the cellar. Smoke pipes should be taken 
down in the spring, as the passage of moist air through 
them rusts them rapidly. 

Overheated stoves: Stoves often get red-hot when filled 
with fuel and left with drafts open. Clothes hung close to dry, 
or other nearby materials, are easily ignited. A stove is a recep- 
tacle for fire and should not be neglected. 

Gas, gasoline, and oil stoves: These should be kept scru- 
pulously clean and free from leaks. Rubber hose should never 
be used connected to gas stoves. Gasoline stoves should be 
filled in daylight only, and never while burning. 

Explosives: Gases and Oils. — The commercial storage, hand- 
ling, and the use of explosives, inflammable substances, and 
combustibles should be regulated by public authority in the 
interest of the common safety. 

Gasoline, naphtha, and similar volatiles for domestic clean- 
ing should be used always in the open air where possible, and 
by daylight only, and never near any open flame. 

Oily rags or waste, used in furniture polishing or any sort 
of cleaning, should be burned at once after using, as certain 
oils ignite spontaneously. 

Holiday Causes. — Fourth of July fireworks should be abol- 
ished, and an Independence Day with sane and interesting 
civic exercises substituted. 

Flimsy inflammable Christmas decorations, cotton as a 
substitute for snow, and all similar fire-breeding materials 
should be discarded. Better and safer things can easily be 
found. 

Carelessness. — The European peoples, reading of our stu- 
pendous fire waste, are puzzled to know if we are a nation of 
incendiaries or a nation of children playing with matches. We 
are neither, but we are ver\' careless, and our careless habits 
must be corrected. 

Individual responsibility for fire must be emphasized b\' 
fire inquests held by fire marshals in all the States. In France, 
he who has a fire must pay any loss resulting from it to his 
neighbors. 

Fire prevention is as important as fire extinguishment. Fire 
departments should prevent fires as well as extinguish them. 

101 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

All fire departments should make regular inspections, keeping 
cities free of rubbish and other fire-breeding dangers. 

Everyone should cooperate heartih- with clean-up and paint- 
up campaigns. 

State building codes should eventually regulate all building 
construction, so that many careless habits in building may be 
eliminated and proper attention given to the fire hazard in 
homes, shops, mills, and factories. 

Fires Are Spread By: 

Wooden Construction. — American towns and cities are 
Iniilt largely of wood. Foreign cities are not. 

Conflagrations are unavoidable where wooden buildings are 
erected in close proximity. Wind-dri\'en fires spread rapidly. 
Conflagrations are never extinguished with water. They burn 
themselves out if not stopped by fire walls or incombustible 
barriers of some sort. As long as the American people build of 
wood, our fire tax will be a heavy economic burden and handi- 
cap to the general prosperity. 

Combustible Roofs. — Wooden shingles arc the principal 
American conflagration breeders. When dry, they ignite like 
tinder when flying brands or sparks alight upon them. Once a 
shingle roof is on fire, the draught of the flames tears off the 
light shingles and carries them to other roofs, to be ignited in 
turn, and in their turn to furnish new flying brands. 

All roof coverings should be incombustible, or at least slow- 
burning. The use of wooden shingles should be entirely aban- 
doned, as they multiply the fire danger of the wooden house. 

Unprotected Window Openings. — Conflagrations in brick, 
stone, and concrete sections of cities are only possible because 
of unprotected w'indow openings. A stone or concrete building 
is itself a fire wall if fire can be kept out of it. 

Any city not built of wood can abolish its conflagration 
dangers by replacing its wooden window frames and thin glass 
by metal window frames and wired glass, or equipping the same 
with standard fire shutters. Any good fire department can then 
extinguish a fire in the building in which it originates. An 
unusually hot fire might burn out of one building into the next, 
but a conflagration could not get started. 

It is the frequent conflagrations in the business districts 
where the commercial values are greatest (and where they 

102 



FIRE PREVENTION AND EXTINCTION 

might easily be guarded as above suggested) which makes the 
fire tax in the United States so enormous. 

Instructions How To Turn In i\N Alarm Of Fire From 
The Street Fire Alarm Boxes Of Cincinnati: 

1. Break the glass front of the key-holding box. 

2. Turn the key and open the door of the fire alarm box. 

3. Pull down the hook in the front of the box once to the 
bottom of the slot and release the hook. 

4. You will then hear the small signal bell in the box strik- 
ing the number of the box. 

5. Then close the outside door of the box and remain. 
When the first fire company arrives, direct it to the location of 
the fire. 

Every member of ever\- family should know the location of 
the nearest fire alarm box. Wherever possible it is better to 
send in a call by street alarm boxes than by telephone, as it is 
easy to make a mistake in speaking under such conditions, and 
the fire engine may be sent to the wrong district or street. But 
if a fire alarm is sent by telephone the important things to re- 
member are: To ask for "Fire Tower;" to keep cool; speak 
distinctly, and to remain at the telephone until the man at the 
fire tower is through talking. 



103 



CHAPTER IX 

The Commissioner of Buildings and 
His Work 

rwenty-five years ago a man in Cincinnati could build a 
house, church, theater, factory, or any other kind of building 
in almost any manner he desired. Few local building laws had 
been passed to prevent his erecting unsafe or unsanitary struc- 
tures. As an actual fact, in Cincinnati, as in other cities dur- 
ing that period, many buildings were erected that proved dan- 
gerous to life and limb, and in some cases veritable fire traps. 

The growth of the realization that no one lives independently 
of his neighbor, and that all should conform their acts to what 
is for the public good, together with the many accidents caused 
through the ignorance and thoughtlessness of builders, brought 
about the general adoption of local ordinances and of certain 
state laws intended to safeguard the public against imperfect 
and unsafe building structures. 

These laws are known as the state and city building codes. 
They have been revised several times to keep pace with the 
various improvements in building materials and practice that 
are continualK' lieing developed. 

Duties of the Commissioner of Buildings. — To enforce these 
building laws it is necessary to have properly appointed officers 
to represent the state and cit\-. They are known as commis- 
sioners of buildings. It is their tluty to see that the building 
laws are j^roperly observed. 

Complete drawings and specifications for every new build- 
ing, as well as for any proposed changes upon existing struc- 
tures, nuist be submitted to the Commissioner of Buildings for 
careful examination. This is to enable him to see that the foun- 
dations, walls, piers, columns, girders, beams, floor systems, 
etc., are of proper materials and dimensions to support with 
perfect safety the weights and strains that will come upon them ; 
that the proper number of exits and . stairways are pro\'ided 

104 



COMMISSIONER OF BUILDINGS AND HIS WORK 

for; that the drain pipes and pkimbing fixtures conform to the 
requirements; and that the proper arrangements are provided 
to ventilate the structure. The Commissioner of Buildings 
must see that the plans conform to these requirements before 
he approves the plans and issues the necessary building permit. 
His duty is to see tluit the structure is built in accordance with 
the approved drawings and details. 

Plans and specifications for all public buildings must be 
submitted to the State Building Commissioner for approval, in 
addition to being submitted to the local Commissioner of Build- 
ings. 

The Building Code. — The building code thus determines in 
detail the construction of buildings in so far as safety and san- 
itary conditions are concerned. It classifies buildings and de- 
termines the construction that must be used in the various 
classifications. It regulates the use of roadways and sidewalks 
where buildings are under construction or undergoing repairs. 
It determines the character and quality of brick, sand, lime, 
cement, concrete, timber, iron, and all other material used in 
the construction of buildings. 

The building code further specifies that all public buildings, 
detention buildings, public garages, dry cleaning establishments, 
all school buildings, and buildings three or more stories in height 
containing assembly halls, all office buildings, hotels, lodging 
liouses, tenement houses more than five stories in height, store 
houses, warehouses, and factory buildings seven stories or more 
in height, and theaters hereafter erected shall be fire-proof. 

It establishes certain block restrictions. For example: No 
gas reservoir, blacksmith shop, foundry, packing house, soap 
factory, tannery, brewery, distillery, grain elevator, laundry, 
or any building, tipple or other structure for the storage of gas- 
oline with a capacity exceeding 1,000 gallons shall be erected 
in any residence block or residence square. 

It prohibits certain hazards, such as keeping or handling 
fireworks, celluloid material, gasoline, storing feed, hay, straw, 
paper, feathers, rags, or any object injurious to health in ten- 
ement houses, lodging houses, hotels, office buildings, and 
l)uildings containing assembly halls or theaters. 

Of special interest to every householder are the specifica- 
tions relating to fire prevention and sanitary conditions. No 
kitchen range, coal range, or sto\-e in any Ijuilding shall be 

105 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

placed less than six inches from any unprotected woodwork or 
wood-stud partition. All coal stoves and ranges shall be set 
upon metal, brick, tile, or cement or other approved incom- 
bustible material extending at least one foot in front of the stove 
or range. All gas ranges having an air space of at least six 
inches underneath the stove may be set directly on a wood 
floor. All gas stoves and heaters of any kind must have flue 
connections. No gas stove, gas range, or gas heater shall be 
connected by rubber hose connections. 

All elevators hereafter placed in any building must be en- 
closed with walls of incombustible material. Inspection of all 
elevators is made at least every six months, and if these are 
found safe, certificates are issued, as provided for. 

All public buildings and places of amusement must be pro- 
vided with doors that open outward. All aisles must be kept 
clear. 

The building code provides for proper light and air of all 
buildings hereafter constructed. For example: The window 
space of every room used for residential purposes must equal 
not less than one-tenth of the area of the floor space. 

In every tenement house, every living or sleeping room 
must have a clear height of every part of the same at least 7 
feet 6 inches in existing houses, and 8 feet in houses hereafter 
erected. No room in any tenement house shall be so over- 
crowded that there shall be aff^orded less than 400 cubic feet 
of air to each adult and 200 cubic feet of air to each child under 
twelve years of age. 

The l)uilding code also establishes and determines proper 
toilets and the cleanliness of buildings. It compels the owners 
of buildings to make proper sewerage connections. 

The construction of buildings is watched to see that they 
conform to the plans as approved b^' the Commissioner of' 
Buildings. 

To carry out his duties the commissioner is pro\ided with 
an office force and with inspectors and deputies, who by law 
have the right to enter any building or enclosure within the 
city. Special inspectors are provided to see that tenements 
conform to the law, in order that those who live in them, as far 
as possible, shall be made safe from lire, and be provided with 
light and air and sanitary surroimdings. 

106 



CHAPTER X 

Dependency and Delinquency 

Causes of Poverty. — The causes of povert\' are numerous 
and complicated; but they divide themselves into two groups: 
peculiarities in the individual, and unfavorable condition of 
environment. 

Certain characteristics, such as lack of judgment, extrav- 
agance, indolence, unhealthy appetites, and disease, produce 
habits of shiftlessness, disregard of fan^ily ties, and excessive 
use of stimulants — ^habits which tend to cause and maintain a 
state of povertx' 

Conditions of en\ironment which interfere with self-support 
are: Poor housing, bad climatic conditions, misdirected or 
insufficient education, lack of protective legislation, unwise 
methods of charity, and bad industrial conditions causing sick- 
ness, low wages, irregular employment, and, to some extent, 
unequal distribution of wealth. 

Personal characteristics leading to dependency and delin- 
quency are of the utmost importance. Many persons, by im- 
proving themselves intellectually and physically, or by prevent- 
ing or correcting bad habits, in a large measure actually control 
their environment, and thus secure themselves against de- 
pendency and delinquency. 

Since poverty and ignorance prevent dependent people 
from helping themselves, and since their presence is a constant 
expense and menace to the community', each citizen should 
strive to free the community of those causes that produce dis- 
ease, poverty, and social degeneration. 

Dependents may be divided into two classes: Those per- 
manently disabled through age or certain abnormal physical 
or mental conditions; and those temporarily forced into de- 
pendency by some cause that may be removed. All relief in 
cases of the latter class should aim to remove the disability, 
and to restore to a condition where normal self-support is 
possible. 

107 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Methods of Charity. — The old method of dispensing churitx' 
was to give ahiis — simply to afford temporary relief of some sort. 
But we have come to realize that this method did not tend to 
correct the unsatisfactory conditions which produced depend- 
ency. On the other hand, it actually increased the helplessness 
of the dependent, and made more certain the further calls for 
alms. 

The new wa\' is rather to correct the conditions which have 
caused dependency, so that those who must be given relief are 
enabled to take care of themselves and their families, and no 
longer remain public charges. 

The new scheme of philanthropy is distinctly constructive. 
It takes the view that while care of those already dependent is 
important, it is e\en more important to do away with the causes 
of dependency. 

A system of organized charity is necessary, since private 
individuals ha\'e neither the time nor special training to in\"esti- 
gate and properly care for applicants for relief. A thorough in- 
vestigation of each case and the cause of distress, such as only 
a trained worker can make, should precede all relief. Cincin- 
nati has a number of such organizations, both public and private. 

Philanthropic Organizations. — The Department of Public 
Welfare is the public department which handles cases of 
dependenc\- in Cincinnati. "It pro\ ides material relief for 
families of needy poor where the bread-winner is in a cit\ in- 
stitution; it also provides free transportation and burial, and 
investigates applications for charity licenses and paroles from 
the workhouse. It has charge of the following city institutioits: 
Infirmary, House of Refuge, Opportunity Farms, Workhouse. 
Lodging House, City Hospital, Tuberculosis Hospital." The 
department also conducts a hospital social ser\ice and co- 
opereites with the other philanthropic institutions. 

The State-City Free Labor Exchange, located in ihe ciu- 
hall, is supported jointly by the state and the municipalil\ . 
It serves as a clearing house for the distribution of labor, w- 
ceiving applicants for labor of all kinds. It alwa>'s aims to stiui. 
the man or woman best fitted for the work, gi^■ing preference 
to those most in need; and fills positions without charge, either 
to employer or employee. It was of especially great service to 
the city during the season of unemployment in 1014-191 5, brought 
about 1)\- the Kuroi)ean \\ar. 

108 



DEPENDENCY AND DELINQUENCY 

The Council of Social Agencies is a federation of the char- 
itable, civic, philanthropic, and public agencies of Greater 
("incinnati. Its purpose is to promote efficiency in the social 
work of Cincinnati and vicinity by securing cooperation 
and co-ordination, and by applying efficiency tests. The men 
and women of the executive board have established certain 
standards of efficient organization and work for agencies so- 
liciting support from Cincinnati givers. Agencies are required 
to meet these standards before receiving public endorsement from 
the Council of Social Agencies for such support from the com- 
munity. A confidential exchange is kept of names and addresses 
of individuals and families who have been helped by reporting 
agencies. Through this exchange it was found that some per- 
sons were receiving help from several agencies at the same 
time. A social service directory is published by the Council as 
a reference book of all benevolent and ci\ic resources of the 
community. 

The Council initiated the movement that resulted in the 
establishment of our Court of Domestic Relations, an unique 
institution of great value, with exclusive jurisdiction over cases 
of juvenile dependency and delinquency, and divorce and 
alimony. 

The Council now directs the collection of a common budget 
for a score or more of philanthtopic institutions. In this way 
the giver makes a single donation for all the institutions to which 
he contributes. By this method the cost of securing funds is 
decreased from about 15 per cent to about 5 per cent. 

The Associated Charities was first organized in this cit>- in 
1879. In the fiscal year ending August 31, 1915, 7,718 cases 
were given attention. The Associated Charities affords relief 
to the needy; it operates a work-room for women and a labor 
yard for men. It has a visiting housekeeper, and through \a- 
rious agencies conducts educational and social service. This 
includes family visiting, procuring relief from relatives, churches, 
or institutions, procuring medical care, finding employment, 
improving sanitary and moral surroundings by persuasion or 
reporting to city authorities. 

The United Jewish Charities, a federation of nine constituent 
bodies, is an organization which deals with the problem created 
in- large numbers of Jewish immigrants in the city. It conducts 
a Jewish Foster Home, a Kindergarten Association, a Trade 

109 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

School for Girls and Industrieil School lor Boys, a Jewish Set- 
tlement, and a Dispensary. It supports a social center, which 
conducts a boys' play-room, a civic club, and a class where 
English is taught. This is one of the most successful philan- 
thropic organizations in the country. 

The Salvation Army is both a religious and relief organiza- 
tion. It gives general relief to the needy poor, without regard 
to their religious belief. Free dinners are given on Thanksgiving 
and Christmas. 

The St. Vincent DePaul Society is a charitable organization 
of the Roman Catholic Church. Through its branches in the 
various parishes, it gives relief to needy poor of the Roman 
Catholic Church. 

The Union Bethel Social Settlement is located at 501 East 
Third Street. Its plan for constructive social w^ork is carried 
out through clubs, classes, and neighborly visiting. Connected 
with the institution is a medical department, which averages 
1,000 treatments a month. The Union Bethel also has a vaca- 
tion house at New Richmond, a day nursery, and a lodging 
house which is self-supporting. 

The Children s Home, Cincinnati Orphan Asylum, Bethany 
Home, German Protestant Orphan Asylum, Jewish Foster 
Home, and St. Joseph Orphan Asylum are some of the child- 
caring institutions for the placing of homeless and destitute ones 
who have been committed to them in good homes or affording 
temporary homes to children whose parents may later l)e able 
to support them. 

Prevention of Crime. — Conditions that de\elop pauperism 
and make charit\- necessary produce delinciuency and crimi'. 
"Crime, in the last analysis, is not to be overcome after arrest, 
but before. Schools, churches, playgroynds, settlements, tradc- 
unicms, and charitable societies — agencies of social progress antl 
social reform, public and private — are the handmaidens of the 
new penology."* 

llie Court of Domestic Relations exists for the protection 
of the family and the interests of children. It watches over 
children and acts as their champion against vicious and un- 
scrupulous persons who would corrupt their morals, ruin their 
health, and deprive them of the required amount of schooling. 
"This Court's aim is to keep children in normal homes if pos- 

* Edward T. Devine in "The Survev." Janiiarv 21, 1911. 

no" 



DEPENDENCY AND DELINQUENCY 

sible, by forcing fathers to support them, b\- granting pensions 
to widowed mothers, or by preventing needless divorces through 
the readjustment of family relations." Cases handled by the 
court are all those relating to delinquency; i. e., where children 
have broken the laws of city or state; cases of dependent chil- 
dren; i. e., children without proper parental care or guardian- 
ship; divorce cases, cases of failure to provide, and alimonx- 
cases. 

The City Workhouse, the Ohio Penitentiary, and Mansfield 
Reformatory, for male criminals between the ages of 16 and 30, 
and MarysviUe Reformatory, a place of detention for females 
over 16 years of age, are the correctional institutions which re- 
ceive adult offenders from Cincinnati's courts. 

Mansfield Reformatory, Lancaster Industrial School for 
boys, and Delaware Industrial School for girls, are the state 
institutions to which the court commits delinquent boys and 
girls. 

The House of Refuge, established in 1850, was long a city 
institution. In 1912 it underwent a complete reorganization. 
Formerly it cared for both dependent and delinquent children. 
Thus the good were thrown into contact with the bad ; a system 
of military drill was maintained; the sleeping rooms had barred 
windows; schools were maintained on the premises. 

In 1912 the children were sent to public schools, receiving 
manual training as well as academic instruction. The military- 
system of discipline was discarded and play encouraged. A new 
record system was established giving complete physical and 
social history. 

Opportunity Farm for Girls, at Wyoming, and an Oppor- 
tunity Farm for Boys, at Glendale, both on the cottage plan, 
have replaced the old House of Refuge, even the name of which 
has been discarded. 

Outdoor activities upon these farms in the country will 
promote health and happiness, and will turn the children's 
minds into normal, healthy channels. 

These harbor only delinquent children. The dependents 
are sent out to live with good families, the city watching care- 
fully to see that their surroundings are good. The city believes, 
and acts upon the belief, that a boy or girl is better off in a 
good home, however humble, than in any institution. 

The Juvenile Protective Association is an organization for 
« 111 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

the advancement of children's welfare. It works in cooperation 
with the Court of Domestic Relations, the Board of Education, 
the state factory inspectors, and all other child-helping agencies, 
"to investigate, suppress, and prevent conditions and to pros- 
ecute persons contributing to the dependency, truancy, or 
delinquency of children." It attempts to create a public senti- 
ment for the establishment of wholesome agencies. 

The New Idea. — In former times, criminals w'ere put into 
prison with the idea of punishing them. The new^ idea is to 
treat crime similarly to the method of treating dependency: 
That is, to prevent by removing the causes, to protect society, 
and to reform the guilty, instead of only punishing the crim- 
inal. Various reform methods in prison management are being 
introduced, such as industrial and academic instruction, out- 
door work, less isolation in cells, and imposing sentences whose 
length depends on the good behavior of the prisoner. It is 
generally agreed that environment to a large extent makes the 
criminal. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that in the right 
sort of surroundings many of the men now in our prisons and 
workhouses might become valuable citizens. 



112 



Cultural Activities 



CHAPTER XI 
Education 

In a country with a government like ours the responsibility 
of the citizen for the protection of the life, health, personal 
rights, property, and business interests of its citizens is greater 
than under any other form of government. Not a special ruling 
class, but the people as a whole, are responsible for the com- 
munity welfare. The fundamental necessity in order to obtain 
protection to life, property, and commerce is the education of 
the citizens of the community. The problem of education of 
both children and adults is therefore, in America, one of the 
utmost importance as regards community affairs. 

Early Private Schools. — The people of Cincinnati early ap- 
preciated the need of schools and pro\nded certain educational 
facilities. But in the early days, that is until 1829, there was 
no such an institution as a public school. All educational ac- 
tivities were in private hands. Those pupils whose parents did 
not pay did not receive instruction. 

Within the first few years of the city's existence quite a 
number of private schools were available to the children of the 
community. The city directory of 1829 records that in that 
year there were 47 schools, with a total enrollment of 725 girls 
and 983 boys. 

Cincinnati has had two periods of educational advance. The 
first began with the second decade of the nineteenth century. 
It was still an era of private schools. The city was then, and 
until the Civil War continued to be, the center of learning for 
the West and Southwest. Cincinnati was then the largest city 
west of the AUeghanies, and deserved to be called the "Queen 
of the West." Students came from the South, from farther 
west, and from Ohio and Indiana. It was at this time that 
such schools as Dr. John Locke's Female Academy, Albert 
Pickett's Cincinnati Female Institution, Ormsby M. Mitchell's 
Institution of Science and Languages flourished. 

In this period also began professional education in Cincin- 

115 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

nati. I nder the leadership of Dr. Daniel Drake, the Ohio 
Medical College was established in 1820; in 1828 Lane Theo- 
logical Seminary was established; in 1833 the Cincinnati Law 
School became a department of Cincinnati College. 

The Cincinnati College weis the outgrowth of the Cincin- 
nati Lancaster Seminar>\ established in 1815 through the efforts 
of Dr. Daniel Drake and Rev. Joshua L. Wilson. The Lan- 
caster plan used in this institution was to use the older pupils, 
vmder the direction of their teachers, as monitors and teachers 
for the younger children. The school occupied a building erected 
especialh' for it on the present site of the Mercantile Library 
Building, which later replaced the College Building. Lancaster 
Seminary continued its existence until about 1820, when it 
gave way to Cincinnati College. The college contained among 
its directors Judge Jacob Burnet, Oliver M. Spencer, Martin 
Baum, Dr. Daniel I3rake, and General William Henry Har- 
rison. Its faculty included such men as William H. McGufTe\'. 
author of the celebrated school readers; Ormsby M. Mitchell, 
the founder of the Cincinnati Observatory, and K. D. Mans|iekl, 
for many years a well-known local journalist. 

The Beginning of Public Schools. — Under such educational 
influences as these, Cincinnati's public schools began their ex- 
istence. The leading spirit in establishing them was Nathaniel 
Guilford; but closely associated with him were Micajah J. 
Williams and Samuel Lewis. Williams, the father of internal 
improvements in Ohio, combined his influence with that of 
Guilford, with the result that a law was passed in 1828 provid- 
ing for public schools in Ohio. Acting under the provisions of 
this law, the city constructed two buildings of brick and stone 
of two rooms each. One stood on the river bank near the Front 
Street pumping station, and the other on Sycamore Street, near 
Fifth. A little later four other buildings were occupied. All 
were crude structures, utterl\- inadequate, according to our 
present ideas. 

In the meantime George Graham, one of the city's philan- 
thropic citizens, employed an architect to draw a design of a 
model schoolhouse. This he built in 1833 on his own lot on the 
west side of Race between Fourth and Fifth Streets. After its 
completion, he offered the whole property to Council for the 
cost of the building. At first they refused to pay the amount ; 
but thev finalK' accepted the building, paying for all except the 

116 



EDUCATION 

cost of the cupola. Nine other schools patterned after this 
model school were afterwards built at a cost of a little over 
$96,000. They were of brick, two stories high, and with two 
rooms on each floor. 

These ten schools were controlled by a Board of Trustees 
composed of one member from each ward. Nathaniel Guilford 
was the chairman of the first Board of Trustees, no superin- 
tendent being employed. Money was then more valuable than 
now, and teachers' salaries were much lower than to-day. Men 
received from $300 to $500 per year, and women from $200 to 
$250. No attempt was made at systematic grading or classifi- 
cation until 1836. 

The Beginning of Woodward and Hughes High Schools. — ■ 
It was in this same period that Cincinnati's high schools had 
their beginning. William Woodward, the founder of Woodward 
High School, appreciated the lack of education in the West, 
and, through the influence of his friend, Samuel Lewis, provided 
for the establishment of the Woodward Free Grammar School 
for the poor children of Cincinnati. Later he changed the con- 
ditions of the gift so as to make it possible for the trustees to 
establish a high school. The school was opened on October 24, 
183L During its existence it has been called successively Wood- 
ward Free Grammar School, Woodward College, and Woodward 
High School. 

Woodward's neighbor, Thomas Hughes, an English shoe- 
maker, emulating his example, bequeathed twenty-seven acres 
of land, comprising about ten blocks, extending from Schiller 
Street to Mount Auburn, between Main and Sycamore Streets, 
for the establishment of a school. The fund thus created was 
the beginning of Hughes High School. 

From this period forward both the public and private schools 
of Cincinnati ranked high. Then came a time when the public 
schools of the city were in the hands of the politicians. The 
schools suffered from lack of funds. For many years not a 
single new schoolhousc was erected in Cincinnati, while other 
cities were making great forward strides in educational equip- 
ment and methods. 

Our Educational Renaissance. — Then came the renaissance. 
Under the leadership of an able superintendent, seconded by 
high-class men in the Board of Education, and a large body of 
earnest teachers, the school svstem began to improve. 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The lirsL effort on the part of the superintendent and teachers 
was to reorganize the school work so as to make it meet the 
present-da>' needs of the community. That work is still going on. 

The second part of the program of improvement was the 
rebuilding of the school plant. Many of the old buildings were 
inadequate, unsafe, and unsanitary. Some of them were re- 
modeled, some were replaced by handsome new ones, and the 
needs of the rapidly growing suburbs were met as fast as pos- 
sible. Within twelve years, thirty buildings were constructed 
or remodeled at a cost of about S5. 750, 000. The list includes 
two new high school l)uildings, Hughes and Woodward, and a 
third in Hyde Park, now being erected. 

The purpose of this educational program in C^incinnati is 
to give an education to "all the children of all the people," in 
order to prepare them for service to the community. 

This means the socializing of the entire work of the school; 
making every teacher a social worker; preparing girls and boys 
for the work which they are to do after school days are over; 
preparing them for purposeful cooperation in making the 
community contribute in the best possible way to the welfare 
of its members. 

Let us examine more in tletail the results of this twelve years 
of effort as shown by present-day conditions and activities. 

Kindergartens. — An early evidence of the awakening was 
tlie introduction of the kindergarten system into the public 
schools. This took place in September, 1905. The Board of 
Education at that time assumed control of two kindergartens 
which pre\iously had been maintained by pri\ate funds. Now 
there is one for every elementary school. 

The kindergartens are organized oil the half-day plan for 
the children, but the teachers are employed all day. They give 
two afternoons each week to home visiting. The reasons for 
the home visiting are many. The teacher may thus encourage 
punctuality and regular attendance; secure cleanliness and 
proper physical care of the child; discuss w^ith the mother the 
problems of the child's training; and suggest home occupations 
for the child. 

Elementary Schools. — The curriculum, the school activities, 
and the school spirit of the elementary schools have all rapidly 
changed. The course of study formerly was dull and formal. 
Now it is adaptable to meet the needs of the child. K\en at 

118 



EDUCATION 

the dose of the twentieth century the work of the teachers was 
circumscribed by uniform examinations. Progress is now meas- 
ured by intellectual de\'elopment and interest in the work, not 
by the ability of pupils to answer a set of uniform questions 
sent out from the office of the Superintendent. At that time, 
teachers taught for results as shown by examinations. Now 
the idea is far more that of service to the child and the com- 
munity. 

With the change in the school spirit has come an enrichment 
<^f the course of study. Emphasis is still placed on the "three 
R's." Perhaps they are better taught than ever before. But 
there has come into the school a rich fund of information and 
experience, adding to the happiness and well-being of the child. 
While the academic studies for the most part are the same as 
they were years ago, their character has changed. History is 
now studied for the purpose of obtaining a better understand- 
ing of the institutions of to-day. Geography is no longer an 
enumeration of rivers, capes, and capitals. English is more an 
exercise in the use of correct speech than the study of formal 
grammar. Arithmetic is socialized by connecting it with the 
practical affairs of life. 

The special studies, penmanship, art, music, physical train- 
ing, which have long been given particular attention in Cin- 
cinnati, now have a richer and more practical meaning. 

Penmanship is no longer taught for artistic effects, but to- 
jjroduce good legible handwriting for everyday use. 

In art work much attention is given to art appreciation as 
it relates to the home, the shop, the office, and the community. 

In music also appreciation is emphasized, while the training 
in music which our pupils receive has added much to Cincin- 
nati's fame as a musical center. 

Physical training no longer stops with formal exercises in 
the classroom and gymnasium. Out of it has developed inter- 
class and inter-school games which do much toward the de- 
velopment of strong and clean citizens. 

Careful attention is given to systematic instruction in hy- 
giene. Medical inspection by competent physicians under the 
direction of the Department of Health is part of the daily school 
program. Inspections of teeth and eyes have been introduced. 
Along with this has come a further development of special 
schools for the physically defective. Not only arc there special 

119 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

schools for the deaf and for the bUnd, but now the open-air 
school has come for the anaemic and for those disposed toward 
tuberculosis. 

Not until 1905, long after other cities were profiting by such 
instruction, were manual training and domestic science intro- 
duced into the Cincinnati schools. Those subjects are now 
taught in the four upper grades of the elementary schools and 
in the high schools. 

Manual training broadens the outlook of the student, and 
gives him a fund of useful information and experiences about 
the affairs of every-day life; it teaches the dignity of labor; it 
cultivates taste and judgment about material things; it furnishes 
a means of education especially adapted for those pupils who 
arc distinctly "hand-minded." This work is necessary to well- 
rounded development. It gives the student a variety of ex- 
periences, and helps him to find at an early age the work for 
which apparently he is best fitted. 

Following the introduction of manual training and domestic 
science, and probably coming directly out of these subjects, has 
come a differentiation of the courses of study in the seventh 
and eighth grades for the purpose of meeting the needs of par- 
ticular groups of pupils. 

Much of the work thus added belongs to what has been 
called "prevocational" work, the purpose of which is to give 
the pupils, both girls and boys, a variety of both manual and 
mental experiences by which they may be able to discover the 
work for which they are best fitted. The courses for girls also 
l)repare definitely for the practice of the household arts. Some 
of the work in the so-called "opportunity schools" for pupils 
below the normal grade is of the prevocational type. 

In all these prevocational classes, the time allowed for 
manual work is increased beyond that regularly allotted to 
manual training and domestic science, and in some schools to 
as much as five hours per week. The academic work is closeh- 
coordinated with the manual training. Various trades and the 
household arts furnish elements of educational value for the 
training of the child. The character of the work varies in dif- 
ferent schools, and is in no sense trade training. 

The High Schools. — The reorganization of our high schools 
took place in 1910-11, immediately after the completion of the 
new Hughes High School and Woodward High School build- 

120 



EDUCATION 

ings. Both of these high schools are of the cosmopoUtan type. 
Here within the same walls are students in the general, manual 
training, domestic science, commercial, industrial, art, music, 
agricultural, and pharmacy courses. An appreciation of in- 
creased high school facilities was shown by a great increase in 
enrollment which during the past eight years has increased 
fifteen times as rapidly as the population of the city, and ten 
times as rapidly as the enrollment of the elementary schools. 

CINCINNATI 

FROM 1906 TO 1914 THE NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS 
HAS INCREASED FIFTEEN TIMES AS RAPIDLY AS POPULATION. 



INCREASE IN POPUUTION 14.3^° 



INCREASED ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT 



INCREASED HIGH SCHOOL 
ENROLLMENT 



20.7^ 



2t0.3^ 



FROM 1906 TO 1914 THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 
PUPILS HAS INCREASED ABOUT ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES AS 
RAPIDLY AS POPULATION. 

CHART 6 

In 1907 the high school attendance in Cincinnati was about 
2,000; in 1915 it was about 4,500, excluding night high schools, 
in which about 3,000 pupils were enrolled. 

The old high schools, the public academies of our fathers, 
furnished needed mental training and supplied the demands of 
their time. But for over fifty years the curriculum of our high 
schools remained practically the same. It olTered excellent 
academic training, furnishing valuable general culture. The 
courses of study were all determined by the entrance require- 
ments of colleges and universities, although only a very few of 
the graduates were found to enter higher institutions of learn- 
ing. "Custom expected our high schools to meet the require- 
ments of the college, but not to prepare for the real and pressing 
requirements of the daily life of the products." Changed in- 
dustrial and social conditions and a realization of the real de- 
mands of education now require, in addition to the instruction 
which high schools formerly offered, other opportunities for 

' 121 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

education to be presented, if the cit\- would educate "all the 
children of all the people" to meet the demands which are to 
be made upon them. 

It is now l)elie\ed, and the high schools are acting on that 
belief, that it is the business of the high school to furnish both 
liberal and definite vocational training to the student who 
knows what he wants to do; and to furnish those who are un- 
decided as to their choice of a vocation with those experiences 
which will assist them in "finding themselves." 

The various high school courses do as much for one class as 
for the other. P'or example, to the student who knows that he 
wants to be a lawyer, a business man, a machinist, or a drug- 
gist, the high school affords definite lines of instruction, fitting 
into and preparing for such occupation. P'urthermore, through 
the technical cooperative courses the work of the school is closcK- 
connected with the practical experience of industrial and com- 
mercial life. 

On the other hand, the student who is as yet undi-cided as 
to his choice of a career finds in the general, the manual train- 
ing, or the domestic science courses those experiences which will 
assist him in determining what his occupation is to be. As has 
been well said by a committee of the National Educational 
Association, to this student "the high school period is the 
testing time, the time for trying out his different powers, the 
time for forming life's purposes." 

A brief statement in regard to some leading characteristics 
of the technical courses will be of interest. The commercial 
course is operated upon the cooperative basis during the second 
semester of the senior year. The boys' technical cooperative 
course is, as its name indicates, cooperative in character. Dur- 
ing the last two years the students spend alternate weeks in 
school and in the shop. The girls' technical cooperative course 
was planned for the girl who expects to earn her own living on 
leaving high school, and who wants definite help in finding her 
field of work. The technical music course is offered in order 
that the high school work may prepare for and supplement 
the work as conducted in the colleges of music and by private 
teachers. Through the cooperation of the Agricultural Com- 
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce, the Hamilton County 
Experimental Farm, and the Hamilton (\)unty farmers, the 
third and fourth years of the agricultural course will be con- 

122 



EDUCATION 

ducted on the cooperative plan. The boys will work on the 
farm two entire summers, and also in alternate weeks of the 
school year from the first of March to the first of December. 
It can be seen that the Cincinnati high schools of to-day are 
of a very different character from the old Hughes and the old 
Woodward High Schools. It is hoped that the new schools 
will serve the twentieth century as well as the old ser\ed the 
nineteenth. The old appealed to a limited class; the new aims 
at vmiversal secondary education. The old was vocational for 
a few professions; the new aims to be \ocational for all classes 
by offering instruction that has a direct relation to the future 
occupation of the pupil. The old considered culture as a thing 
apart from one's work; the new connects cultural training with 
the vocational. The old did but little to develop habits of 




CINCINNATI'S NEWEST HIGH SCHOOL; IN HYDE PARK 



ser\i(X' to one's community; the new attempts to make students 
intelligent in regard to community affairs and to develop habits 
of helpful cooperation, to the end that good citizenship ma\- 
result . 

Evening Schools. — For the youth who must work and for 
the adult who lacked the advantages of early education, the 
evening schools offer important opportunities. The elementary 
evening schools were first established for boys in 1840, and for 
girls in 1855. They were discontinued in 1883, and then re- 
organized in 1892. The evening academic high schools were 
not reorganized until 1904. In addition to the regular academic 
work which the evening high schools at first offered, commer- 
cial and industrial instruction is now given in the night schools. 
The work includes courses for girls and women in sewing, dress- 
making, millinery, embroidery, cooking; for boys and men, in 
mechanical and architectural drawing, bench work, cabinet 

123 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

making, wood-turning, shop mathematics, and machine shop 
practice. A special carpentry class in house-framing and an- 
other for machine shop foremen were organized in 1914. 

Some time ago, in certain schools in the center of the city, 
there was such a demand by foreigners for instruction in Eng- 
lish that it became necessary to establish a special school for 
them. The students in these schools represent fifteen nations. 

The broadening of the instruction in the night schools has 
resulted in great increase in attendance in the past few years. 

Continuation Schools. — There are two types of continua- 
tion schools in Cincinnati. The first is represented by the com- 
pulsory schools, which give youth instruction in language, 
civics and industrial affairs, trade practice, hygiene, factory 
sanitation. They help the student to be an intelligent citizen 
as well as an efficient worker. These schools are attended by 
boys between the ages of fifteen and sixteen years of age who 
have not completed the sixth grade. These pupils are "over 
age;" that is, they are older than the normal for the grade, and 
are children who, either from sickness or other infirmity, or 
from slowness of intellect, have failed in promotion several times. 

Another type of continuation school is represented by the 
Machinists' Apprentice School on Ninth Street and the classes 
in salesmanship conducted by public school teachers in various 
department stores. These schools furnish technical and busi- 
ness instruction which cannot be obtained in the shop or in 
the store. They also endeavor to give that social training 
which will assist the student to a correct understanding of his 
relations to his fellow workmen, to his employer, and to the 
community. 

The summer academic school was instituted in 1908. It has 
two purposes: to enable pupils who have failed in one or two 
subjects to catch up, and to enable unusually bright pupils to 
skip a grade. 

The vacation schools are recreation centers for children who 
must stay in the city during the summer. They were established 
l)y the Board of Education as part of the school system in 1907, 
and since then have helped thousands whose homes are in 
closely congested districts. The vacation school is not academic; 
it does not continue the book work of the regular school. Its 
curriculum includes such occupations as appeal to the child 
whose school books are put away for a time, but whose interest 

124 



EDUCATION 

must be kept alive, and who must be kept busy for his own 
sake. 

The Cincinnati home and school garden movement began 
under the auspices of the Civics Department of the Cincinnati 
Woman's Club in 1908. It was later taken over by the Board 
of Education. The object of the garden work is three-fold: 
to disseminate a knowledge of plant life generally, to encourage 
the development of the child through contact with living things, 
and to provide a means of assisting families to secure whole- 
some food at low cost through the utilization of back yards and 
vacant lots. 

The part taken by the public schools in the control of play- 
grounds is treated in Chapter XV on Recreation. 

Social Centers. — Organized social center work began in 
Cincinnati in 1913. On March 17 of that year the Superin- 
tendent of Schools, in an exhaustive report to the Board of 
Education, stated as a general principle that "A larger use of 
the schoolhouse for social, recreational, educational, and civic 
purposes should be encouraged. The schoolhouse belongs to 
all the people, and should be open to all the people upon equal 
terms." Since the adoption of this report, the social center 
work has rapidly developed under a special director, who de- 
votes to it his entire time. 

A recent report says: "Throughout the city, mothers' 
clubs, improvement associations, and business men's clubs are 
now using the public schools for evening meetings. Individually 
organized athletic clubs and gymnasium classes are taking 
advantage of the school equipment. Wherever a need for 
evening activity has been expressed, some attempt has been 
made to satisfy that need. This makes for a simultaneous and 
extensive development in a number of different communities, 
rather than for the development of one or two particular neigh- 
borhoods at the expense of others not so well equipped." 

The report concludes with the statement that "Time will 
either prove or disprove the value of present methods; but 
that activity which stands for social, recreational, educational, 
and civic advantages must surely find a permanent place in 
the developing plans of the Cincinnati Board of Education." 

Vocational Service. — Changed industrial and social condi- 
tions of city life not only have made necessary important changes 
in our system of education, but have compelled the study of 

125 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

the child labor question and the whole range of \ocational life 
in its relation to the training of youth. Since 1910 the child 
labor laws of Ohio have offered a peculiar opportunity to stud\' 
these questions. 

In order to take advantage of this opportunity, a Bureau 
of Vocational Guidance, financed by private funds, was or- 
ganized. To it has been assigned the function of issuing cer- 
tificates permitting children to go to work, in order to give it 
control of the material for research. Since its organization, this 
bureau has been engaged in making a comprehensive study of 
the child labor situation, for the purpose of helping to lay the 
foundation for an adecjuate program of vocational service. 
Meanwhile, the bureau has incidentally worked out a method of 
issuing working certificates, keeping industrial records, and en- 
forcing child labor laws. It has also given out each year sta- 
tistics with regard to the number, age, school, grade, and kind 
of school of the children entering industry, and the kind of oc- 
cupation into which the\" go, as well as the wages paid them in 
\arious occupations. 

A more recent acti\ity connected with the Bureau of Voca- 
tional (Guidance is the work of the Placement Ofifice. The 
executi\e secretiiry of the Placement Ofifice cooperates both 
\\iih the schools and with the employers. Her endeavor is to 
keep children in school whene\er that is possible; to find part- 
time employment for children who could then stay in school, 
but not otherwise; to find full-time employment for those who 
must leave school; and to follow them up. as far as possible, 
in their subsequent employment. 

The Bureau of Vocational Guidance is performing an im- 
IM)rtant service in caring for the boys and girls who leave school 
to go to work, and its influence will extend to those in school. 
But a closer touch, a more personal service in the way of in- 
formation and counsel in regard to vocational questions for the 
pupil while in school is needed. In order to render such help, a 
pnjgram of vocational serxice in the public schools was begun 
in 1911. 

The immediate aim of this work of vocational service is to 
lead the child to see the relation between the work of the school 
and vocational success, and thus give him what has been called 
a "life career motive" for continuing his interest in school. 
The ultimate purpose is to prevent vocational misfits, and to 

126 



EDUCATION 



promote vocational success. Such work has been called voca- 
tional guidance. The phrase "educational guidance for voca- 
tional and ethical purposes" better expresses the motive. 

The activities connected with it include giving students 
information in regard to various occupations and the oppor- 
tunities which each offers, studying the personal characteristics 
of pupils and their adaptation to various kinds of work, coun- 
seling with pupils in regard to school work and life work, the 
adaptation of school work to the vocational needs of the pupils. 
This work also includes the use of the various school activities 
as laboratory exercises to assist the pupil in discoxering that 
work for which he seems best fitted. 

In each school there is a committee to consider the voca- 
tional problems of children who are about to leave school, to make 
a study of different occupa- 
tions, to give information to 
children in regard to possible 
occupations, and to consider 
the adaptation of the school 
work to their vocational needs. 
Each local committee coop- 
erates through its chairman 

!• .1 -ii ^1 ^ c The Civic and Vocational League holds meet- 

directh' with the secretar\' ol . ..u <-.u k r r- 

ings at the Chamber of Commerce 

the Placement Office. 

Through the cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce, 
another important piece of \ocational service closeh' connected 
with the work of the schools is in progress. At the request of 
the Superintendent of Schools, the Chamber of Commerce 
undertook a vocational survey of the leading industries of the 
city for the purpose of obtaining information on which to base 
an extensive industrial education, and for use in counseling 
with students as to the choice of a career. 

The surveys of the printing trades and the garment-making 
industry have been completed. In accordance with the rec- 
ommendations of these surveys, schools have been established 
connected with these industries. Other similar studies are 
contemplated. 

Civics. — Vocational service in the elementary schools is 
closely connected with instruction in civics, both being super- 
vised by the same director. Civics in the elementary schools 
has come to mean a study of community life for the purpose of 

127 




THE CITIZENS BOOK 

understanding the relations of the individual to the \arious 
social groups of which he is a member, and of developing in the 
l)upil habits and traits of good citizenship. Its aims are set 
forth in a recently issued syllabus: 

"To help the child realize that he is a responsible and helpful 
member of several groups. 

"To awaken and stimulate motives that will lead to the 
establishment of habits of order, cleanliness, cheerful coopera- 
tion, sympathetic ser^•ice, and obedience to law. 

"To emphasize the intimate and reciprocal relation between 
the welfare of the individual and the welfare of the home and 
society. 

"To develop political intelligence and to prepare the young 
citizen for its exercise." 

As a means of developing an interest in civic and vocational 
affairs and the habit of cooperation for the promotion of com- 
munity welfare, civic and \'ocational clubs are organized in 
the \'arious schools. These clubs are federated into a Ci\ic and 
Vocational League, which is affiliated with the Cincinnati 
Chamber of Commerce and the Woman's City Club. The 
league is controlled by a committee of sponsors appointed !)>• 
the presidents of those organizations. 

The committee of sponsors assists in furnishing speakers 
for central and local meetings, and in providing for civic and 
vocational excursions of the various clubs. It is their endeavor 
in every way possible to assist in bringing the boys and girls 
of the schools in close touch with the civic and business life of 
the community. 

The University of Cincinnati. — It is due to Charles Mc- 
Micken that (Cincinnati has, in addition to her elementary and 
secondary schools, a municipal university. From a recent pulv 
lication describing the Cincinnati schools, to which we art- 
indebted for much of this chapter, w'e quote the following, ri-l- 
ative to the institution made possible by Mr. McMicken's 
becjuest: 

On his death in 1858, he ga\e to the cit>' of Cin- 
cinnati by will almost the whole of his estate ^■alued 
at about SI, 000, ()()() for the jMirpose of establishing and 
maintaining two c:olleges. 

Nearly half the property thus devised was lost b\- 
a court decision in 1860; so that for ten vears the rev- 

128 



EDUCATION 

enue derived from the estate was applied to its im- 
provement. Finally, as the outcome of efforts to unite 
various educational interests in Cincinnati, there was 
passed in 1870 by the General Assembly of Ohio an 
act under which the University of Cincinnati was 
established. In 1874 the Academic Department, now 
called the McMicken College of Liberal Arts, was 
formally organized by the appointment of three pro- 
fessors and two instructors. 

Expansion of this new city college began almost 
immediately, has continued to the present, and will 
proceed further and further along every line in which 
the University can serve the needs of the people. In 
1872 the Cincinnati Astronomical Society (founded in 
1842) transferred its property to the city to become a 
part of the University. In 1896, the Medical College 
of Ohio (founded in 1819) became a part of the Uni- 
v^ersity, and, by re-organization and consolidation 
with the Miami Medical College in 1908, the Ohio 
Medical College of the University of Cincinnati. Out 
of a professorship of civil engineering in the College of 
Liberal Arts there has developed a College of Engineer- 
ing, which received its name in 1900, and was organized 
into a distinct department in 1904. The College for 
Teachers was organized in 1905 in co-operation with 
the city Board of Education. In 1906 the Graduate 
School was separated from the College of Liberal 
Arts, and given distinct organization. The C'ollege of 
Commerce and the evening academic classes of the 
College of Liberal Arts were organized in 1912. A 
Bureau of City Tests was established in 1912 in the 
College of Engineering to cooperate with the en- 
gineer's office of the city department of public service. 
in 1913 the Municipal Reference Bureau in the City 
Hall was opened as a department of the University 
under the direction of the Professor of Political Science. 
The School of Household Arts was organized in 1914. 
For a number of years professors and instructors of the 
College of Liberal Arts had been conducting external 
courses at various stations in and outside of the city. 
And, in order to facilitate the study of law, theology, 
and art, special cooperative arrangements are en- 
forced between the University and the Law School, 
Lane Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, 
and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. 

Today the University of Cincinnati stands as the 
only fully organized municipal university in America. 
On the hill of Clifton Heights mav be seen the Thirtieth 

129 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

District School, Hughes High School, and the main 
group of University buildings, concretely presenting 
the striking fact that in Cincinnati free instruction 
from the kindergarten through the graduate school of 
the University is offered to all the children and youth 
of the community. 

Perhaps this distinctive message of the University 
of (Cincinnati has gone abroad in recent years chiefly 
from the College of Engineering. The College of En- 
gineering is noted principally for its cooperative courses, 
which were inaugurated in September, 1906. Instruc- 
tion is offered in the five lines of civil engineering, 
chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical 
engineering, and metallurgical engineering. The Cin- 
cinnati plan of engineering education has as its 
essential feature the ingenious and highly effective 
co-ordination of actual shop and field work in the 
vr^rious lines of practical engineering with carefully 
oiganized university instruction. Students are han- 
dled in pairs, the members of each pair alternating so 
that one student is at work while the other attends 
college classes, the exchange of students occurring 
bi-weekly. In this way the practice of engineering 
is taught in the shop or on a railroad, under actual com- 
mercial conditions, and the science underlying the 
practice is taught in the Universit\-. 

The (College for Teachers, both in its establishment 
and in its operation, is only another example of the 
Cincinnati cooperation. Organized in 1905, as a co- 
t)perative enterprise conducted jointly b>' the Uni- 
versity and the Cincinnati Board of Education, this 
unicjue city normal training college is developing teach- 
ers of very high attainments; and, since the establish- 
ment of this school, Cincinnati has been able to set up 
a standard for elementary teachers that is unequaled 
elsewhere. 

The (College of Medicine is not only an integral 
part of the University', but it also is organically related 
to the great new Cincinnati Hospital, which is one of 
the most thoroughly equipped general hospitals in the 
United States, one of the most complete institutions 
of its kind to be found in the world. Furthermore, a 
high grade school of nursing and health is being de- 
veloped by means of cooperative arrangement be- 
tween the College of Medicine and the Cincinnati 
Hospital on the one side and on the other the School of 
Household Arts of the llniversit\-. In addition, the 

130 



EDUCATION 

College of Medicine and the Cincinnati Board of 
Health have entered into a cooperative agreement 
under which students in the junior year divide their 
time between regular work in the College and active 
service in the Board of Health. 

The College of Commerce of the University of Cincinnati 
was largely the outgrowth of evening classes held at the Uni- 
versity under the patronage of the Cincinnati Chapter of the 
American Institute of Banking. The idea prompting its es- 
tablishment was that in the professions, as in business, a man 
should begin by learning what the experiences of others had to 
teach. So far, the work of the College of Commerce is con- 
ducted mostly through evening classes. The courses of instruc- 
tion include administration, accounting, and commercial law. 

Administration. — This brief review of the fimctions of the 
C^incinnati school system indicates that it is unique in its in- 
clusiveness, and that the people of the city control the entire 
organization from the kindergarten through the graduate school 
of the University. Although the entire system forms an or- 
ganic whole, each part, Elementary, High School, and Uni- 
\ersity, has an independent governing bod>'. The members of 
these governing bodies serve without pay. 

The elementary schools are administered by the Board of 
Kducation, consisting of seven members elected at large for a 
term of four years. 

The administration of the schools is organized into two 
j)rincipal departments: the Department of Instruction and the 
Department of Business. 

The Superintendent at the head of the Department of In- 
struction has the appointment, subject to the approval of the 
Board of Education, of the teachers, the supervising staff, and 
other officers and employees who come under his direction. 

Cooperating with the Department of Instruction, but under 
the direction of the City Health Department, there are assigned 
to the schools medical inspectors, district physicians, school 
nurses, dental operators, and clinic assistants. 

The Business Manager at the head of the Department of 
Business is charged with the erection, repair, and care of all 
school buildings, and with the purchase and distribution ol 
supplies and materials of all kinds. 

The high schools are under the control of the Union Board 

131 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

ol High Schools. This board, consisting; of fourteen members, 
includes the seven memljers of the Board of Education, five 
members appointed by the Court of Common Pleas as trustees of 
the Woodward Fund, and two members elected by the trustees of 
the Hughes Fund. A contract made in 1851, and amended 
in 1895, gives to the representatives of the two trust funds a 
share in the management of the high schools; and in return 
insures to the city an income of approximately $11,500 per 
\ear. All other expenses for the maintenance of the high schools 
amotmting to over $300,000 each year are met by appropria- 
tions made by the Board of Education. The Superintendent of 
Schools, the Business Manager, and the Clerk are all elected 
by the Board of Education. They are also the administrative 
officers of the Union Board of High Schools. 

Organic connection between the Board of Education and 
directors of the University is maintained through the medium 
of the College for Teachers, a joint enterprise, which is man- 
aged by a Committee-in-Charge. This committee consists of 
the Superintendent of Schools, the President of the University, 
one member of the Board of Education, and one member of 
the Board of Directors of the University. 

From the foregoing account it may be seen that the co- 
ordination of educational effort is due, not to a single unifying 
executive, but to the cooperation of independent authorities, 
all working together for the common good, and all responsible 
in the final analysis to the people of the city, whose work they 
are doing. 

Parochial Schools.- Roman Catholics and Lutherans en- 
deavor to gi\'e children a good common school education, with 
special attention to reading, writing, arithmetic, and grammar, 
and particularly to religious instruction. Aside from the moral 
value of this instruction in church precepts, it is a common 
opinion of Roman Catholic educators that as a means of de- 
veloping the intellectual powers, the study of catechism ranks 
high. The grades in the parochial schools are ordinarih' eight. 
Five or six of these schools haxe kindergartens. One, the St. 
Xavier school, has a da\- nurser\-. A few schools have full high 
school courses. In Cincinnati and suburbs there are 70 pa- 
rochial schools, employing the services of about 500 teachers, 
and attended by aljout 10.000 children. 

132 



EDUCATION 

The Roman CeithoHcs have a well-equipped college, St. 
Xavier's. with about 1,000 students. 

Private Schools. — Perhaps the best known of the private 
schools of the city is the Ohio Mechanics' Institute, one of the 
first in the United States. It was chartered in 1829, to advance 
"the best interests of the mechanics, manufacturers, and artisans 
by the more general diffusion of useful knowledge in those im- 
portant classes of the community." From the beginning, its 
purpose has been to furnish an opportunity for acquaintance 
with the scientific principles on which the mechanical arts are 
based. Throughout its entire existence in both day and night 
classes it has done much to promote the cause of education and 
industrial development. 

The original Ohio Mechanics' Institute building at Sixth 
and Vine Streets was the home of the Institute for more than 
sixty years, the corner-stone having been laid on July 4, 1848 
by the citizens of Cincinnati under the leadership of Miles 
Greenwood. This historic landmark is known as the Miles 
Greenwood Building. 

The present building site at Canal and Walnut, where Mr. 
Greenwood carried on his extensive business, was acquired 
by the trustees in 1905. The handsome building is the generous 
gift of Mrs. Mary M. Emery. It was provided by her as a 
memorial to her husband, Thomas J. Emery, and has been 
occupied since the beginning of the school year of 1911-1912. 

The Cincinnati Kindergarten Training School was estab- 
lished in 1880. In 1905 it became affiliated with the University 
of Cincinnati and the public schools, thereby securing the edu- 
cational opportunities of a large university and the practice 
field of the public school kindergartens. 

The Colored Industrial School was established under the 
bequest of Mrs. Sallie J. McCall. who left the bulk of her for- 
tune to found an industrial school for the benefit of the colored 
people of Cincinnati, without regard to age or sex, and without 
charge for tuition. Courses are open to all colored residents of 
Cincinnati above the age of fourteen years who ha\'e com- 
pleted the fifth school grade or its equivalent. Courses for 
men and boys are now offered in automobiling, bricklaying, 
carpentry, cement work, and plastering; for women and girls 
in domestic science, including cooking, catering, serving, home 

133 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

sanitation, and housekeeping; and domestic art. including plain 
sewing, millinery, and dressmaking. 

The Youn^ Men's Christian Association conducts both day 
and night classes in many lines of educational work. Emphasis 
is strongly laid on individual instruction. A large proportion 
of the Association's educational activities is distinctly voca- 
tional. It includes educational talks in shops and factories, 
trips for men and boys to manufacturing and power plants, 
and special educational exhibits. It has large gymnasium 
classes, and carries on special classes for automobile work. An 
employment bureau is conducted for finding positions for the 
members generally, and for placing those students who com- 
plete the courses satisfactorily. 

The professional schools include the Eclectic Medical Col- 
lege, Ohio College of Dental Surgery, Cincinnati Law School, 
Lane Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union (\)llege, College f)f 
Music, and the Conservatory of Music. 

On College Hill is the Ohio Military Institute, a pri\ate 
undertaking dexeloped from the old Ohio Farmers' College. It 
furnishes academic and military training. Other private schools 
are the University School, Franklin School for Boys, Oak- 
hurst, Bartholomew-Clifton Schools for girls, various schools 
of expression or elocution, and business schools. 

From this brief review of the educational activities of Cin- 
cinnati, it would appear that our city, "with well-defined pur- 
pose, is seeking, through the cooperation of all its institutions — 
social, civic, commercial, industrial, educational — to develop a 
unified system of public education that shall adequately meet 
the needs of all its people." 



134 



CHAPTER XII 
The Public Library 

History. — ^Attempts to establish a library in Cincinnati 
were made in 1802, but the "Circulating Library" was not 
opened until April, 1814. In 1821 the "Apprentices' Library" 
was formed. The two libraries were consolidated in 1837. 
They had no funds except from donations and fines, and no 
fixed location until 1852, when the books were placed in the 
Ohio Mechanics' Institute, at Sixth and Vine Streets. In 1853 
a law was passed providing for a tax for school libraries. In 
1855 the "Ohio School Library" was. opened. In 1856 it was 
merged with other collections. A tax was not levied regularly 
until 1867, when the name "Public Library of Cincinnati" w^as 
adopted. In 1870 the library moved to its present building on 
Vine Street, between Sixth and Seventh, a building planned for 
a theater. The library was controlled by the Board of Educa- 
tion until 1898, when, by a new law, the library was made free 
to all residents of Hamilton County. The Library Trustees 
were given full control. 

Resources. — The main library contains what is probably 
the most valuable collection of books in any public library 
west of the Alleghenies. In the Art Rooms are books on art, 
architecture and costumes, pictures, stereoscopic views, lan- 
tern slides, and musical scores; in the Useful Arts Room, scientific 
books and magazines, especially those on electricity, chemistry, 
and all lines of manufacture; in the Study Room, encyclopedias, 
atlases, law books, volumes of quotations and other reference 
books, in which can be found answers to questions on a great 
variety of subjects; in the Civics Room, books and clippings on 
social topics; in the Children's Room are to be found the best 
books for boys and girls of all ages, good stories and books to 
help with school work, home duties, and sports. An adjoining 
room is for teachers, where there are model collections of books 
for class-room libraries and the courses of study used in the 
schools of the principal cities of the United States. 

135 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



Agencies for Distributing Books. — The main library is not 
only a storehouse for books, but forms also a distributing center. 
For the convenience of those who do not live near the main 
building, there are twenty-two branch libraries in the city and 
suburban towns. These have regular deliveries from the main 
library, so that a borrower may secure books not kept in the 
branch library. To serve people in small communities where 
there are no branch libraries, there are twenty stations. The 
library also sends traveling libraries, which are sets of books in 
cases, to distant parts of the county, where volunteers act as 
librarians. 



" "h^^b 


|K^^^ .-•-■• I*"— 


■ - • 1 


|o|^n^S|j3k 


^^KMBg^^ssAs^^^^-^^-- 






f^™ 


lypi^^ 





iCourtcsv- <>1 I'Clix J. Korh.) 
CHILDREN'S ROOM; PUBLIC LIBRARY 

Methods. — Such a library is a great storehouse of information 
on almost every conceivable subject. But, in preparing club 
programs or assigning class-room work to pupils, it should be 
remembered that there are many subjects on which no informa- 
tion exists in books. Much of this information is fugitive in 
character, issued by publishing houses, societies, and national, 
state, and city governments, in the form of pamphlets, reports, 
and documents. Much of the latest information is contained 
in periodicals. 

Forty years ago a librarian in chief was a walking encyclo- 
pedia or index. People went to him for help. One of these 
old-time librarians could carry in his head a general idea of the 
contents of one hundred thousand volumes. The increase in 
number of books containing the records of modern progress 
has outstripped the powers of any one human brain. The old- 
style librarian no longer exists. In his place a large library has 
a corps of trained assistants, each familiar with the tools for 

136 



THE PUBLIC LIBRARY 

digging out from books information in some one department of 
knowledge. These tools did not exist forty years ago. Necessity 
has forced their creation. They are indexes and compilations 
so many in number that publishing houses have been estab- 
lished with the sole purpose of issuing them. There are more 
than two thousand of these. The catalogue is only one of these 
two thousand keys for unlocking the library storehouse. 

The principal work of the Public Library of Cincinnati is 
this reference work, as it is called. Manufacturers, lawyers, 
chemists, clergymen, teachers, members of debating clubs, and 
women's clubs are all helped. The aid given the local industries 
through the files of the technical books and magazines perhaps 
alone repays the total cost of the Library. Frequently, for 
scientific researches, it is necessary to draw upon other large 
libraries. This modern system of inter-library loans adds 
enormously to local library resources, and saves expense. It is 
only available for aiding researches likely to advance knowl- 
edge. It is not available for school or club work. The expectant 
student should go to the Public Library, tell exactly what in- 
formation he is seeking, and leave it to the trained assistants to 
find it. They prepare and communicate the needed information. 

The Library also is giving instruction to teachers and pupils, 
so that they may have some glimpse into the organization of a 
modern library, and so be able to help themselves. The Librar>' 
further conducts an apprentice class for training young people 
to become themselves librarians. 

Free lecture courses are given periodically on popular sub- 
jects for adults, some of them in foreign languages. Most of 
these are illustrated by the stereopticon. 

The collection of lantern slides is by far the largest in any 
public library. The staff photographer is constantly making 
more slides to satisfy demands. 

Story hours are conducted for children at the main library 
and the branches, where stories are told with a view to interest- 
ing children in the best literature. 

The Blind. — The Cincinnati Library Society for the Blind 
circulates its books in embossed type through the Public Li- 
brary. A number of readings are given for the blind each week 
at the Library; and every Friday morning a class of blind people 
receives instruction in various branches, which helps them to 
become self-supporting. 

137 



CHAPTER XIII 

Art 

In making a trip down the Ohio River one seems naturally 
to try to picture the glorious scene that met the eyes of the early 
explorers. The beautiful wooded hills with the majestic river 
flowing gracefully between them profoundly stirred the emotion 
of these first white men, and they named the picturesque stream 
"La Belle Riviere;" in English, "The Beautiful River." 

All the Ohio is beautiful, but especially so is the site upon 
which our city is built. Who can stand on the summit of one 
of these hills, viewing the beautiful panorama spread at his 
feet, and not be thrilled with the wonder of it all? So felt the 
early pioneers; and those returning to the East carried such 
tales of the wondrous beauty of Cincinnati's location that 
artists were eager to see the new paradise. When they came, 
they were not disappointed, but rather were so enraptured that 
they remained to gain new inspiration from the scenes about 
them. So, simultaneously with the growth of the commercial 
life of the city, its artistic spirit was also developed. 

As early as 1826 a private studio was opened on Main Street, 
between Third and Fourth Streets, and designated the "Academy 
of Fine Arts." Here no less an artistic genius than Hiram 
Powers, the sculptor, received his first training. 

Since strength is gained from organized effort, in 1838 a 
number of artists formed an association whose chief purpose 
was the exhibition of art works. In the following year the 
association exhibited in Cincinnati one hundred and fifty w'orks 
of foreign and native artists. 

The Art Museum. — As American women are usually in the 
forefront of all progressive movements, in the artistic develop- 
ment of our city they have been among the prime movers. The 
establishment of the Art Museum had its beginning in their 
efforts for the "Women's Art Commission of Cincinnati." This 
met in 1877, eidopted resolutions "to advance women's work, 

138 



ART 



more especially in industrial art;" and later the women's com- 
mission adopted resolutions to encourage the cultivation and 
appreciation of art by the establishment of an art museum. 

This museum was made possible by the offer of Charles W. 
West at the opening of the industrial exposition in 1880, of the 
sum of $150,000, on condition that other citizens contribute a 
like amount. Within thirty days $166,500 was contributed. 
In 1886 the museum was dedicated. Two additions have since 
been built. In 1907 was built the Emma Louise Schmidlapp 
Memorial, considered one of the finest sculpture galleries in 






THE ART MUSEUM; AN UNUSUAL VIEW 

America. In 1910 the C\)stume and the North Picture Galleries 
were added to the Cincinnati Art Museum. 

The museum collections consist not only of copies of classic 
and modern examples of sculpture and paintings, but are rich 
also in textiles, ceramics, metal work, carvings, costumes, arms 
and armor, musical instruments, and other art productions. 

The cit\- is further enriched Ijy several private art collections 
also well known to connoisseurs. 

Cincinnati has the distinction of ha\ing the first endowed 
art academy in America. This was given through the generosity 
of Charles McMicken, who, in 1869, endowed the McMicken 
School of Design, affording instruction in drawing, painting, 
and modeling. The school was maintained on the fourth floor 
of the old Mercantile Library Building, on Fourth and Walnut 
Streets. It was maintained as a department of the rni\ersity 

139 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

of Cincinnati until 1884, wiien it was taken over by the Art 
Museum Association. In 1887 it was housed in its own buildini:; 
in Eden Park, close to the Art Museum. 

Cincinnati Artists. — The Art Academy has sent out man\' 
artists of no mean ability, whose works have spread the fame of 
Cincinnati throughout Europe and America. Among these 
may be mentioned Frank Duveneck, who has but recently had 
high honors conferred upon him at the Panama-Pacific Exposi- 
tion; John Twachtman, Robert Blum, Joseph DeCamp, L. H. 
Meakin, Kenyon Cox, J. Baer, Theodore Wendel, Br>son 
Burroughs, and Elizabeth Nourse, the latter being at this time 
perhaps the best known American artist residing in Paris. 
Among the sculptors may be named Solon Borglum, Charles 
Niehaus, and C. J. Barnhorn. Others w^ho have added to the 
art reputation of the city are: Hiram Powers, the first Amer- 
ican sculptor to gain European fame; Henry Mosler, C. T. 
Webber, Thomas Noble, for many years at the head of the 
teaching force of the Art Academy; Henry Farny, and J. H. 
Sharp, the two latter well known for their Indian pictures; 
Moses Ezekiel and Louis Rebisso, sculptors. 

Present Art Associations. — -The artistic caliber of the cit\" 
may well be estimated by the number of live art associations 
within its environs, numbering among their memberships man>' 
well-know 11 resident artists. Prominent among these organiza- 
tions are the Cincinnati Art Club, the Women's Art Club, and 
the Arts and Crafts Club. These various clubs do much to 
maintain the artistic spirit of the city and give substantial en- 
couragement to the artist members by means of their exhibits 
and sales. 

Rookwood Pottery. — Cincinnati is noted, through its Rook- 
wood Pottery, for giving to the world some of the most wonder- 
ful vases and tiles. This institution first took form in the ar- 
tistic soul of Mrs. Marie Longworth Storer. But at its inception 
no one e\er dreamed how great would be its fame, and that some 
day Cincinnati and Rookwood would become synonymous in 
the minds of many lovers of art. 

The Ohio Mechanics' Institute. — The mission of the arts and 
crafts classes of the Ohio Mechanics' Institute to foster the arts 
in all the trades has been ably fulfilled. These classes have 
been of inestimable value in developing the artistic tempera- 
ment of its young people. The Ohio Mechanics' Institute main- 

140 



ART 

tains the only school of Hthography in America. This was es- 
tablished and is maintained b>' an association of lithographic 
companies of the country. It is fitting that such a school should 
l)e located in our city, as some of the best known lithographing 
establishments of the country are operated here. Those plants 
require the services of a large force of w^ll trained artists. Their 
productions, which are sent to all parts of the world, help to 
advertise the artistic strength of Cincinnati. 

The Public School. — Other private institutions which en- 
courage the study of art might be mentioned; but to the public 
schools is left the art culture of the masses. The mission of the 
I)ublic schools is to develop the appreciation of the beautiful in 
all the children no less than to find the embryo artist, to teach 
them to discover the beautiful, and to apply it in the various 
walks of life. To meet these ends, the public schools have been 
ever on the alert to maintain a high standard of art work, and 
to establish such courses as will meet the art requirements of 
all. Throughout the entire curriculum the art course has in 
view the many, phases of art activity in the commercial and 
industrial world, as well as the application of art to the home 
and daily, life. As a result of a close cooperation of the school 
and the museum authorities, all the children have free access 
to the museum when accompanied by their teachers. Thousands 
of them avail themselves of this privilege each year. The art 
training given in the public school classes previous to such 
\isits makes them especiall}- profitable to the children. 

For high school pupils desiring to make art their special 
vocation, a course is designed which permits them to attend 
the art academy for a part of each day. By a similar coopera- 
tion between the Art Academy, the public schools, and the 
Teachers' (\)llege of the University of Cincinnati, a teachers' 
art course is made possible. This course prepares advanced art 
students to supervise and teach art and the crafts in ])ublic and 
private schools. The museum also provides for tlie teachers a 
course of lectures on the history of art. 

Importance of Art Instruction. — ^To teach the people lo 
recognize the ])eaut\' of nature and to know the joy of its con- 
templation are of prime importance in education. When the 
masses will crowd the hills to drink in the beauty of the land- 
scape, and when they become impatient of the marring of its 
l)eaut\- by smoke and dirt and unsightly obstructions, so much 

141 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

the sooner will tliese hindrances of civic improvement be re- 
moved. It is pubHc sentiment which ever makes possible the 
carrying out of the laws. When the work of our school gardens 
has sufficiently influenced the children, the parks w'ill be uni- 
versally recognized as the beauty spots of our city. They will 
become justly popular as pleasure haunts. The demands for 
good roads and boulevards to link them together will then be- 
come imperative. When the people have responded to art and 
culture, and the city as a whole has had the full benefits of a 
scheme of city planning, now provided for by law, the eye will 
refuse to rest on unsightly buildings and useless slopes. Public 
and private institutions will be forced to meet the public de- 
mands for civic beauty. The basin of the city will become as 
sightly as the surrounding hilltops. Then wall Cincinnati be 
even more beautiful than in her primitive glory. 



142 



CHAPTER XIV 

Music 

In searching through the pubHc and private Hi^raries of 
Cincinnati for facts touching the origin and growth of music in 
this community, one is surprised at the vigor and fertiUty of 
the city's social soil, which has fostered and developed this art 
from the early period of the city's history to the present day. 

The First Singing Master. — Twelve years after the settle- 
ment of the community as Losantiville, the population numbered 
seven hundred and fift\-. It was at this time that Mr. McLean, 
the village butcher, pui)lic officer, and singing-master, advertised 
in a local paper that he would maintain a singing school by sub- 
scription at one dollar a member for thirteen nights, or two 
dollars per quarter, "subscribers to find their own wood and 
candles". 

The First Publication. — ^In April, 1815, proposals were ad- 
vertised in Liberty Hall, Cincinnati, for the publication b\- 
subscription of "a new and valuable collection of music en- 
titled 'The Western Harmonist,' by John McCormick," in which 
appeared a statement that "The author, having been many 
years in the contemplation of this work, flatters himself that 
he will be able to furnish the difTerent societies with the most 
useful tunes and anthems." A band then existed at the fort 
which could play, among other numbers, such selections as 
"America." On the Fourth of July "cannons were used to add 
emphasis to their selections." 

Early Singing Societies. — The year that the village became 
a city (1819) the Episcopal Singing Society was organized. 
This society had a gift of a lot from Arthur St. Clair, and a 
permanent home from Mr. Jacob Baymiller. Kven to-day few 
musical societies can boast of such luxuries. 

The young city also had its Haydn Society. This was 
composed of the best singers from dift'erent choral societies. 
Three such societies united in giving a concert in 1821, at which 
" 14.3 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

"Comfort Ye My People" and the "Hallelujah Chorus" from 
the "Messiah" were sung. This was the first public rendition 
in the city of this masterpiece. All this was within one genera- 
tion after the settlement northwest from the Ohio River, scarcely 
more than twenty years from the time when the members of 
the First Presbyterian Church were subject to a fine if the>' 
came to meeting without their rifles. 

Orchestra and School Music. — The visit of LaFayette in 
1825 provided the needed stimulus for the organization of a 
symphony orchestra. The orchestra was under the direction of 
Joseph Tosso, one of the most famous violinists of his day. 

In 1834 the city sprang into fame as a center of musical 
learning by establishing the Eclectic Academy of Music. This 
academy maintained both a chorus and an orchestra. In 1842 
a choral class for adults was organized in the basement of the 
old Sixth Presbyterian Church, by Charles Aiken. The class 
was instructed in a method which, it was claimed, "was adapt- 
able to old and young alike." The system there begun has been 
used in the Cincinnati schools since the fall of the year 1846. 

The first Saengerfest of America was held in Cincinnati in 
1849. This great festival of song, participated in specially by 
the German people, is said to have been the inspiration for the 
present Cincinnati May Festivals. When the Saengerfest of 
1870 met, it was found necessary to build a hall capable of ac- 
commodating three thousand singers and instrumentalists, be- 
sides the attending audience. 

Music Hall. — The biennial May Festival began its work in 
1873. The wonderful artistic and financial success of this 
festival and that of 1875 suggested the needs of a permanent 
music hall for Cincinnati. This need was met, a design was 
planned, and in a few years a hall was built at Elm near Twelfth 
containing one of the dozen gigantic organs of the world. Cin- 
cinnati Music Hall is a public institution — a gift to the city 
under the control of a self-perpetuating and incorporated or- 
ganization of citizens. 

The present Superintendent of Schools, Randall J. Condon, 
in his annual report to the Board of Education of 1914, gives 
the following historical view of the musical life of Cincinnati: 

The College of Music. — From the College of Music of Cin- 
cinnati, founded October 14, 1878, emanate influences which, 
for the last thirty-six years, have helped to form and sustain the 

144 



MUSIC 

musical organizations and the musical art of Cincinnati. The 
college is an eleemosynary institution, handsomely endowed b\' 
Mr. Reuben R. Springer and a number of benevolent citizens of 
Cincinnati. . . . 

In addition to various courses of musical instruction, the 
college now undertakes the training of supervisors of public 
school music, the practical training of piano teachers and operatic 
repertoire. 




MUSIC HALL 



The first musical director of the College of Music was the 
late Theodore Thomas, who was also for many years director 
of the famous Cincinnati May Music Festivals. In proffering 
Mr. Thomas the position, the founders of the institution state 
its purpose as follows: 

It is proposed to establish an institution of musical 
education upon the scale of the most important of 
those of a similar character in Europe; to employ the 
highest class of professors, to organize a full orchestra 
with a school for orchestra and chorus, and to give 
concerts. 

That these noble aims have been fulfilled to an eminent 
degree is manifested in the artistic success which the institution 
continues to enjoy. 

The Conservatory of Music. — The Conservatory of Music 
has for many years been in close cooperation with the public 
schools of the fcity by granting requests for musical programs for 

145 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

s|>ccial occasions in kindergartens, day and night schools, ^•aca- 
lion schools, mothers' meetings, and socitil centers. 

Its doors have always been thrown open to the public, 
whether the event be a concert by one of the famous virtuosi of 
the faculty, by the Conservatory orchestra, or by talented 
students of the institution. That there is an intense desire for 
good music by the general pul)lic is proNcd l)y the large audiences 
attending these concerts. 

The Cincinnati Music Festivals (May Festivals), -(irove's 
Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the standard English and 
American authorit>-, sa\s, in referring to these Festivals: "The 
most notable of the regular recurring musical meetings in the 
linitefi States are those held biennialh- in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
. They ha\'e, be>'ond (piestion, exerted a more powerful 
influence for nuisical culture than any institution of their kind." 

The declared purpose of the Cincinnati Musical P\'stiyal 
A.ssociation is the production of the great choral masterpieces 
of the world's music under the most favorable auspices, with 
aceessories suitable to their dignity and importance. With 
this high standard in \iew, the association has constantly sought 
to improve the (|ualit>' of the chorus, which is the basis of the 
Festivals, and has uniformly employed the best orchestra and 
soloists obtainable. The Theodore Thomas (Chicago Symphon\- ) 
Orchestra has been used in all Festivals except those in 19(K> 
and 1914, when the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra replaced 
it. The soloists enlisted have been the most eminent singers of 
two continents. On many occasions notable European artists 
have l)een first introduced to American audiences at the Cin- 
cinnati Festi\'als. 

The first Festi\al was held in 1873. Its success suggested a 
second in 187.S. Since that time they have recurred bienniall>', 
the Festi\'al of 1914 being the twenty-first of the series. 

The basis of the organization, as already stated, is the 
chorus; this now numbers 350 singers. Any person possessing 
a good and musically true voice, and with some facility in read- 
ing music, is eligible. All applicants are examined by the chorus 
master. .'\s a result of this policy and of the patriotic interest 
in the organization by citizens generally*, the ciuality and con- 
sequent effectiveness of the chorus have constantly improved. 
All examination of the rolls of the chorus will discover hundreds 
of names of the most prominent and distinguished men and 

146 



MUSIC 

women of the city, all of whom feel a personal pride in the part 
they have taken in these great concerts. 

During recent years, a body of children from the public 
schools — from 300 to 1,000 singers — have taken part in the 
Festivals, with distinct credit to themselves and to their in- 
structors. The Superintendent of Schools has especially rec- 
ognized the high value to the children of the training involved 
in their participation in the Festival work, and has commended 
iheir performance in his official annual reports. 

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. — In 1872 a few public- 
spirited, music-loving women conceived the idea of establishing 
in Cincinnati a symphony orchestra on a permanent basis 
through public subscription, (^incinnati has long enjoyed a 
reputation as a musical cit> , and has attracted from the Old 
World some fine musicians. From their ranks a Philharmonic 
Orchestra was formed in 1872, which was the pioneer symphony 
orchestra of the West. Concerts were given by this and other 
musical organizations, which stimulated a desire for a permanent 
Cincinnati Orchestra. 

Finally a plan, originating in the Ladies' Musical Club, was 
definitely outlined. As a result of the enthusiasm and enter- 
prise of this club, the Cincinnati Orchestra Association Com- 
pany was formed in the spring of 1894, with a board of fifteen 
women in control, and Mrs. William H. Taft as president. An 
appeal was sent out to "all patriotic citizens" asking for finan- 
cial assistance for the enterprise, and in a few weeks a sufficient 
sum was raised or guaranteed to make it possible to begin in a 
modest but adequate way. It was distinctly a woman's move- 
ment. 

The first season of the Cincinnati Orchestra was oi)ened in 
1894 in Pike's Opera House, with an orchestra of something 
over fifty men. 

In 1896 the orchestra was increased to seventy men. Pike's 
Opera House being no longer available, having been burne<l 
down, the concerts were transferred to Music Hall, where the>' 
were given until the winter of 1911. About this time Mrs. 
Thomas J. Emery had constructed a building for the Ohio 
Mechanics' Institute. The auditorium was so designed as (o 
make it adaptable to the purpose of the orchestra, and in this 
beautiful auditorium the concerts have since been given. . . . 

As museums of art afford opportunities of studying and 

147 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

enjoying the great sculptures and paintings, so do our orchestras 
make clear to us the best there is in music. Any one with this 
idea in mind will see their importance, and will do whatever 
lies in his power to further their advancement. In Cincinnati 
there has been developed an orchestra that ranks among the 
first in the country. 

A conspicuous example of public spirit and high appreciation 
of the work of the orchestra has been the bequest to it in 1915 
l)y Miss Cora Dow of more than half a million dollars to be 
held as an endowment. 

Piano Teaching in the Schools. — A class of 126 pupils was 
organized at Woodward High School on February 8, 1915, to 
receive a course of piano instruction under school discipline. 
This innovation, the first of its kind in the country, has been 
watched with more than ordinary interest, both at home and 
abroad. A standard is being set by our high schools and a wa>' 
opened for our teachers to credit all out of school work, pro- 
\ided the pupils, upon examination, have measured up to a 
required standard. A minimum requirement of piano study 
Avhich shall be accepted by teachers and accomplished by all 
pupils seeking credit for the same, is the next move in the educa- 
tional world of music. 

School Orchestras. — ^Besides the piano work in the schools, 
the Board of Education encourages the study of orchestral 
instruments, and purchases those that are purely of that nature. 
Credit is given to pupils for their work toward graduation. 
Hundreds of pupils are availing themselves of the chances 
offered to enter these music classes. In June, 1915, Dr. Kun- 
wald, the director of the Symphony Orchestra, was appointed 
in an advisory capacity over the high school orchestras. This 
was a great uplift to them, placing them in closer relations with 
the Symphony Orchestra and the masterpieces of the world. 

Music in the Community. — Upwards of six hundred people 
are following the xocation of teaching music in Cincinnati. 
There are, besides this force, workers upon instruments of wood 
and brass, piano and organ makers, sending their goods all 
over the nation; music publishers, typesetters and engravers; 
composers, writers on music, and editors; colleges of music and 
their train, with some of the best artists of the world living with 
us. All are studying music, as if this were the one great industry 
of the world. 

148 



MUSIC 

Music has its place in a community, not from its commercial 
uses, but as a great factor in training the emotions in the ab- 
stract, just as geometry trains the mind in the abstract. Through 
music people are taught love of God, love of country, of nature, 
and of friends. One cannot appreciate too highly the unutter- 
able energies residing in the three energies — ^church music, 
national airs, and fireside melodies — as the means of informing 
and enlarging the mighty heart of a free people. 



149 



CHAPTER XV 
Recreation 

Work, play, love, and worship arc set down as the tour chief 
essentials in a human being's existence by Dr. Richard C. 
("abot, in his recent book, "What Men Live By." Frederick 
Howe says "Civilization depends largely on the way people 
use their leisure." The use of leisure usuallv means recreation, 
play. 

The country- at large is awakening to a realization of the 
\ital importance of this subject. This is evidenced by the fact 
that since 1907 the number of American cities that pro\ide 
equipped and supervised playgrounds and recreation centers 
has increased from 40 to 342 (Springfield Recreation Survey, 
p. 97). 

With I he advance of ci\ilization and the remarkal)le growth 
of urban jjopulation in .America, it is natural that the duties of 
cities should increase in number, new problems should arise, 
new projects be put forth, and thus new responsibilities con- 
stantly fall upon the different departments of city government. 

The problem of public recreation and public playgrounds is 
one of the most recent developments of city government. It 
should Ix' met and is being met by municipal agenci.es. In 
ancient times it was only the wealthier classes that had sulirtcient 
leisure to devote to amusement and the enjoyment of life. 
Working men worked from dawn to long after sunset. To-da>' 
both rich and poor are being gi\en ample <)]:)p()rt unitx" for 
recreation. 

Why Parks and Playgrounds Are Needed. — With the rapid 
increase in size and population of American cities and the de- 
velopment of trade and in(lustr\-, there has grown up a fimda- 
mental need for playgrounds and a recreation system. In con- 
gested city districts there was no opportunity for adult recrea- 
tion other than clubs, saloons, poolrooms, and theaters. Chil- 
dren were forced to gather in streets, alleys, and \acant lots for 

150 



RECREATION 

aniusenient. Probably nowhere in the country was this situa- 
tion more acute than in the downtown districts of Cincinnati. 

Cincinnati's park system, with its playgrounds and athletic 
fields, has completely altered these conditions. The beautiful 
fields and woQds and the downtown breathing spaces are of 
inestimable value to the adults. The athletic fields and play- 
grounds allow the children to have a real place to play without 
getting into difficulty with the law, a place where the>- may 
play under wholesome guidance. 

The public playground is simply a place in the community 
set apart where children may go to enjo\- and amuse themselves; 




TYPICAL PUBLIC PLAY GROUND; LYTLE PARK 



where they will find swings, slides, sand piles, and many other 
attractive things foreign to their own >ards; and where they 
may run, play ball and \arious games without being "chased or 
caught by a cop." 

Playgrounds and Juvenile Delinquency. All persons in 
favor of the jilayground movement recognize in it distinct ed- 
ucational and moral advantages, and agree that the establish- 
ment of playgrounds decreases the amount of ju\enile delin- 
c|uency. The latter is one of its greatest advantages. Juvenile 
delinquency is the outcome of moral weakness and is caused 
chiefly by congestion of city population and misdirected play, 
because children are forced to play by themselves without su- 
pervision in streets and alleys. Playgrounds help to solve this 
problem. As to the effect of playgrounds on the decrease of 

151 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

juvenile delinquency, it might be interesting to note the results 
of an investigation recently made in Cincinnati. 

The Juvenile Court records were taken in contrasting years, 
for 1910, when the playgrounds had just been established, and 
for 1914, when they were in good working order. A record of 
delinciuent cases was kept for each year during the playground 
season, from May to September. The area co\cred by the record 
is bounded, roughly, by Front Street on the south, McMicken 
on the north, the district of the Pennsylvania Railroad station 
on the east, and the district of the ball park on the west. 

As a result, it was found that there were 142 cases of de- 
lincjuency in 1910, against 95 cases in 1914, showing a decrease 
of about 32.5 per cent in the number of cases after there were 
more playgrounds in the city. This percentage should not be 
quoted as accurate, attributing the. decrease to playgrounds 
alone, for the decrease is probably due in part to the work of 
other agencies, such as the Associated Charities and social 
settlements. Nevertheless, it proves to a certain extent the good 
influence of playgrounds. For further evidence, the cases of dc- 
linciuency were counted in the immediate districts of several play- 
grounds. In each district a decrease in delinquency was found. 

Playgrounds and Social Standards. — The playground is one 
of the best agencies for raising social standards. It improves 
the whole neighborhood of which it forms the center. Children 
learn on the playground many practical things. They le^irn 
better ways of living; they get their mothers interested, and, as 
a result, we have better kept homes, and hence a generalh' 
improved neighborhood. In the end, the city is rewarded for 
its large expense of money and labor by receiving the support 
of healthier and more eflficient citizens. The children quarrel 
less and laugh more, for they are busier and healthier. 

Supervision of Playgrounds. — Playgrounds having been es- 
tablished, it was soon found necessary to provide supervisors 
or playground directors. The playground director is a necessary- 
addition to the playground. He teaches the children new games 
and plays with them. He shows them how to use the apparatus 
in the right way. His presence is necessary to prevent acci- 
dents, and his help is necessary if accidents should occur. Su- 
pervision is indeed the secret of playground success. It adds 
incentive to children's play, and tends to establish wholesome 
habits of thought and action. 

152 



RECREATION 

Development of Playgrounds in Cincinnati. — In comparison 
with other cities, there has been an excellent development of 
playgrounds in Cincinnati. The playgrounds are organized 
under two separate municipal departments, the Board of Park 
Commissioners and the Board of Education. (On this point 
see also chapter XXI on The Municipal Government.) 

Prior to 1907 Cincinnati had neither playgrounds nor a park 
system. The idea was initiated in 1906, when City Council 
passed an ordinance providing $15,000 to develop plans for a 
park system for Cincinnati. A Board of Park Commissioners 
was appointed. This board began by investigating plans of 
various cities, and finally worked out and adopted a plan pro- 
viding for parks, boulevards, playgrounds, and athletic fields. 
A study was made of the population in congested districts. As 
a result of this study, the playgrounds were placed where they 
were most needed. The first public playground was opened in 
1909, and proved so successful that several more were con- 
structed during the next few years. By 1915 there were 17 
equipped playgrounds in successful operation. They are opened 
officially on May 15 and closed on October 15 of each year. 

Coincident with the development of park playgrounds came 
the school playgrounds. These were opened either in school 
yards or near them. The work advanced rapidly, until at 
present (1916) at least one-half of the public schools have either 
total or partial playground equipment. In recent years the ex- 
tension of the park playgrounds made it practically unnecessary 
for the Board of Education to continue its playground work. 
Since both the Park Commissioners and Board of Education 
are working on the playground problem, a natural cooperation 
has grown up between the two. The Board of Park Commis- 
sioners purchases and equips playgrounds. The Board of Ed- 
ucation provides the directors. In addition to this, it is almost 
a settled policy that the Board of Park Commissioners will try 
to construct playgrounds in the vicinity of the schools. In 
turn, the Board of Education will try to locate new schools near 
playgrounds already existing, in so far as it is practicable. 

Commercial Recreation. — -The development of industry and 
of the factory system in Cincinnati has forced the working people 
into densely populated and crowded city districts. The down- 
town homes, once clean and pretty, became unattractive and 
overcrowded. The natural instinct for play and amusement 

153 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

was pushed beyond control of the home and family. For this 
reason boys and girls turned to what is known as commercial 
recreation. Among the most common forms of this are moving 
picture shows, theaters, pool and billiard rooms, shooting gal- 
leries, bowling alleys, saloons and beer gardens, public dance 
halls, skating rinks, amusement parks, excursion boats, and 
bathing beaches. "Commercial recreation is not interested in 
culture. It is interested in profits." 

Until recently commercial recreation was looked upon 
solely as a private business xenture, concerning no one but 
the owner of the amusement enterprise. Social students have 
now gome to realize the importance of healthy recreation, and 
believe that, since commercial recreation meets a social want, 
it must be subject to social control. Social control is the only 
way to secure wholesome amusement for the people. 

In 1912 the Juvenile Protective Association made ah in- 
vestigation of commercial recreation in Cincinnati. It found 
that many places needed superxision. Since then it has suc- 
ceeded in having several city ordinances passed applying to 
dance halls, excursion boats, picture shows, and pool rooms, 
which already have greatly improved the standards of these 
l)laces. This is a step in advance. But new and better 
methods of supervision of commercial recreation are still needed. 

Athletic Fields. — Perhaps in no place in the country is 
amateur baselxill developed and encouraged in such a thoroughly 
helpful manner as in Cincinnati. There are 32 baseball grounds 




ONE OF CINCINNATI'S 21 ATHLETIC FIELDS: HUNT STREET 

154 



RECREATION 

and 21 athletic fields upon park property. Amateur teams wish- 
ing to play their games upon these grounds are federated through 
the agency of the Director of Recreation, who is an employee 
of the Board of Park Commissioners. Umpires are assigned by 
him. It is he who lays out the schedule of games. Clean sport 
is thus encouraged, and such occurrences as improper language, 
ungentlemanly actions, and quarreling are barred. Boys are 
given an opportunity to exercise their capacity for leadership 
and self-control, and to allow their enthusiasm to lead them 
through healthy recreation to the ideal of a clean mind in a 
sound body. 

Recreation is here also supervised through a municipal 
agency, but for older persons than the children who use the 
playgrounds. 

Parks and Boulevards. — Cincinnati's park system now con- 
sists (1916) of 2,500 acres of parks, 2^ miles of parkway, 17 
tennis courts, 4 golf courses. 21 athletic fields with baseball 
diamonds, and 24 playgrounds. Hundreds of acres of parks 
have been given to the city by public spirited citizens. The 
cost to the city, including improvements, has been large — about 
86,500,000. The annual expense of maintenance is about 
8175,000. Our parks are w^ell kept and supervised. When the 
proposed system is completed, the parks being connected by 
boulevards, several miles of which have l)een already con- 
structed. ( incinnali will be as well equipped as an\- cit\' in the 
country. 

The beauty of the Cincinnati parks is unsurpassed in the 
United States. Unlike many American cities, which are often 
situated on the plain, the topography of the city lends itself to 
magnificent views and exquisite groves and open spaces. The 
people own all this. The grounds and equipment are j^ublic 
property, and are maintained in the finest possible manner b>' 
a board of citizens who freely give of their time for that special 
purpose. The people are beginning to use the parks freely. 
There is not a single "Keep otif the Grass" sign in any of them. 
The greenhouses in Eden Park, the lakes and streams, the grass>- 
slopes, the original forests, the fresh air and wonderful views are 
all free. The Board of Park Commissioners, through its expert 
employees, is pleased to gi\e to any citizen free advice as to 
planting or laying out his own grounds, whether large or small, 
and offers every facility for such service to the public. 

155 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The Future. — Cincinnati has accompHshed much in hcr 
clitorts to provide recreation facilities for her citizens. The city 
may well feel pleased with the advances made and the results 
attained in the few short years from 1907, with only 469 acres 
of parks, to the present time (1916), with 2,500 acres. There 




OHIO RIVER FROM EDEN PARK 

are still difficulties to overcome, corrections and administrative 
improvements to be made; but these difficulties will be conquered 
through experience as time goes on. To the extent that our city 
is backed by interested and patriotic citizens working for higher 
standards in all municipal affairs, including recreation, there 
can be little doubt as to future progress and success in the es- 
tablishment of one of the finest chain of rccreatixe centers in 
the United States. 



156 



Business Interests 



CHAPTER XVI 

The Early Development of Industry 
and Commerce in Cincinnati 

The Beginnings of Commerce. -During the "Hatboat 
period" (1789-1817), at the beginning of Cincinnati's economic 
life, agriculture was the only occupation. After the Indian 
wars, settlers commenced to occupy the land in greater num- 
bers. Soon there began the production of a surplus of agri- 
cultural products, for which there was no market in the Ohio 
Valley. This surplus was exported to outside markets on the 
Atlantic Coast, via New Orleans. 

The pioneer merchants engaged in this business encountered 
many difficulties and hardships. They bought pork and packed 
it; they bought wheat and had it ground into flour; they made 
Hatboats, and upon them, at considerable expense and risk, 
floated their products to New Orleans. From New Orleans 
there were two routes by which they returned to Cincinnati: 
one, 1,100 miles over the Natchez Trace through the Indian 
country; another by sea, to Philadelphia or Baltimore. One 
merchant made fourteen such trips. He traveled home by land 
eight times, and was usually thirty days in returning. 

The lack of good roads did much to retard the development of 
the country. The first roads were only trails. The trails devel- 
oped into wagon roads, but of a primitive character. By 1809 
mud roads connected the principal towns of the Miami Country. 
Zane's Trace connected Southwestern Ohio with the East. 

Transportation under such conditions was necessarily ex- 
pensive. For example, it cost $1.10 per barrel to ship flour 
from Cincinnati to Hamilton. The stage fare from Cincinnati 
to Yellow Springs (about seventy-five miles north) was $5.00 
in 1805. Furthermore, the cost of transportation greatly affected 
the price of products. In the back country corn was sold for 
as low as ten cents per bushel, and pork $1.00 per hundred- 
weight. Frequently cattle were driven to market as far east as 
Baltimore. 

" 1 59 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The Beginnings of Industry. — Originally, the farmers made 
nearly all the clothing and utensils which they and their families 
required. Industries, however, soon began. As early as Feb- 
ruary 29, 1794, a tanner advertised for an apprentice in the 
"Sentinel of the Northwest Territory." George Klyer & Sons, 
potters, October 3, 1795, "begged leave to inform the public" 
that they were in business in their shop opposite the printing 
office. By 1799 a considerable number of manufacturers, in- 
cluding blacksmiths, gunsmiths, and cabinet makers, were ad- 
vertising in the "Western Spy" and the "Hamilton Gazette." 
In 1804 James Richey advertised that he was engaged in the 
blue-dyeing business, and would also conduct a school where 
reading, writing, and arithmetic would be taught. In 1809 
two cotton factories and artisans representing nearly forty 
trades supplied a large proportion of manufactured goods to 
the local community. There were no steam mills as yet. . Ox 
mills and water power mills furnished the only power used in 
the Miami Country. Manufactures were then (as the word 
indicates) carried out mostly by hand. Local manufacture 
began at an early date simply to avoid the cost of the long haul 
under conditions of primitive transportation. It was found 
cheaper to import artisans than to import manufactured prod- 
ucts. 

The first conscious effort to encourage manufactures in Cin- 
cinnati was not shown until near the close of the War of 1812. 
The toast of the Fourth of July celebration in 1814 was "Our 
Manufactures: a still, small voice, but persistent and energetic!" 
In that year the Cincinnati steam mill was built. This was a 
most unusual structure, 62 by 87 feet and 140 feet high, with 
walls 10 feet thick. It manufactured flour, cotton and woolen 
goods, and flaxseed oil. In 1814 Cincinnati had also four cotton 
spinning establishments, 91 wool carding machines, a steam 
sawmill, and a sugar refinery. Industry had begun. 

Cincinnati in 1815. — By 1815 Cincinnati's population was 
nearly equal to that of Pittsburgh, and by 1820 it exceeded that 
of Pittsburgh by 2,359. The city then extended half a mile 
back from the river, and occupied nearly a mile of the river 
front. 

The exports continued to be largely agricultural. Flour, 
pork, and whiskey took the lead. The Miami Country was the 
wheat and corn belt of the West at that period. The fertile 

160 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

soil produced abundantly wherever it was cultivated. The 
economic problem was to turn the product into a form which 
could be shipped easily and cheaply. The wheat was therefore 
either ground into flour at one of the local mills on one of the 
Miami Rivers or smaller streams, or it was sent to the big steam 
mill in Cinc4nnati, just constructed, with its 70 horse power 
engine and four pairs of six-foot buhrs, with a capacity of 700 
barrels per week. 

From down in Kentucky, as well as from much of Ohio, the 
settlers continued to drive their cattle over the Alleghenies to 
be fattened in the valley of the Potomac or in Pennsylvania 
for the eastern market. Richard Fosdick had given the Miami 
Country its first lessons in pork packing. Droves of swine 
were beginning to move toward Cincinnati for slaughter and 
shipment down the river. The surplus corn that was not fed 
to hogs continued to be turned into whiskey and the surplus 
fruit into brandy. This is the usual method of reducing bulk 
and weight of grain and fruit for purposes of shipment from 
frontier communities wherever transportation routes have not 
been established. Beer, porter, pot and pearl ash, cheese, soap, 
candles, hemp, spun yarn, lumber, and cabinet furniture were 
also articles of export. 

The cotton and sugar regions of the lower Mississippi Valley 
were as yet, in 1815, taking but small quantities, if any, of the 
local productions of flour, pork, and whiskey. The West Indies 
and the Atlantic States continued to be the great markets for 
these products. A rush of population to the southern part of 
the great valley soon changed this. The time was not long be- 
fore these settlers were sending to Cincinnati for steam engines, 
cotton gins, sugar mills, and other articles of manufacture, as 
well as for food products. 

In several lines of manufactured goods the local artisans 
were already supplying the demand of the surrounding country. 
But there is no evidence that Cincinnati was sending more 
than a limited amount of exports to the lower river country, 
except fur hats to the Mississippi in exchange for furs. Cin- 
cinnati at that time contained no surplus of laboring population, 
nor of capital. The men were engaged in clearing and improv- 
ing the wilderness, so there was little opportunity for man- 
ufactures until the necessary labor and capital should come in. 
Yet there was a nucleus for the rapid rise of manufactures that 

161 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

was soon to begin. The town contained no iron foundry. But 
there were several blacksmith shops already engaged in making 
cut and wrought nails. Besides these, there came coppersmiths 
and tinsmiths. Rifles, fowling pieces, pistols, disks, and gun- 
locks were manufactured. There were in operation in Cincin- 
nati a steam sawmill with a capacity of 8,000 feet per day; 23 
cotton spinning mills and "throstles" carrying 3,300 spindles; 
130 wool spinning machines and 14 cotton and 91 wool carding 
machines; 2 rope walks; 6 tanneries. A sugar refinery was just 
being built. As early as 1806 James Dover established the first 
brewery at the foot of Race Street. Two others were established 
before 1815. Other manufactured articles were trunks covered 
with deer skin, brushes, blank books, six or seven tons of white 
lead per week, furniture, wagons, carts, drays, coaches, and 
phaetons. 

Cincinnati's Opportunities in 1817. — ^Cincinnati had a 
marvelous growth as the metropolis of the Miami Country. 
With the coming of the steamboat, it had opportunity to do 
business with the rest of the Mississippi Valley, and was soon 
to become the metropolis of a rich and growing region. 

Let us see what were the resources and opportunities at its 
command. It had the adv'antages of being an established 
community in possession of a small accumulation of capital. 
Artisans of various trades composed a large portion of the 
population. Cincinnati was the metropolis of the richest agri- 
cultural region of the Northwest, a region a part of which had 
already a population of nearly forty-five inhabitants to the 
square mile. (The average number of people to the square 
mile in Ohio in 1910 was 117.) The population was growing 
rapidly, and would demand an increasing quantity of man- 
ufactured and imported goods, for which the city would be ready 
to exchange a large surplus of farm products. This was a pop- 
ulation that was improving the highways, building substantial 
brick and frame houses, discarding the log cabins of an earlier 
day. A newer West was growing rapidly on the lower Ohio and 
on the upper Mississippi. The inhabitants were demanding a 
convenient market in which to make their purchases, but al- 
ready they themselves were competitors of Cincinnati for the 
sale of farm products. 

On the lower Mississippi was a rich agricultural region into 
which there began a great rush of population about 1818. Here 

162 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

was a region characterized by a distinctive kind of agriculture: 
using slave labor, raising cotton and sugar, to the exclusion of 
a food supply sufficient even for home consumption, and pro- 
ducing no manufactures whatever. It was in this region that 
Cincinnati found its best market for surplus flour, pork, and 
whiskey and all her manufactures. New Orleans was a con- 
venient port from which to export the surplus which the South 
did not take. To New Orleans the local merchants went for a 
large part of their foreign trade. 

Cincinnati's opportunities for industrial growth were not 
less than its chances for commercial development. It had a 
supply of wood near at hand. The Ohio River furnished the 
cheapest kind of transportation from the coal and iron mines 
of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Hemp was obtained 
from the nearby Blue Grass region of Kentucky, and lead from 
Missouri. The long haul and primitive land transportation 
were sufficient protection from competition of the Atlantic 
cities, for the heavier articles at least. In addition to all this, 
it had close connection with a rapidly growing region that needed 
such goods as could be manufactured. It was under these con- 
ditions that the successful voyage of Captain Shreve's "Wash- 
ington" in 1817 ushered in the period of the steamboat. 

The Beginning of Steamboat Navigation. — The preliminaries 
for the beginning of steamboat navigation on the Ohio were 
arranged in connection with a wedding journey. Nicholas J. 
Roosevelt and his bride, in an especially constructed flatboat, 
floated from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in May, 1809. Mr. 
Roosevelt gauged the depth of the river, measured its velocity, 
and endeavored to determine the practicability of steamboat 
navigation. He returned to Pittsburgh via New^ York in Jan- 
uary, 1810, and commenced to build the "Orleans," the first, 
steamboat on western waters. This vessel was 116 feet long, 
20 feet wide, and cost $38,000. She left Pittsburgh for New 
Orleans on September 28, 1811, and landed at Cincinnati two 
days later. The voyage down the Mississippi w'as at the time 
of a memorable earthquake; the channel of the river changed, 
islands disappeared. But this pioneer vessel reached New 
Orleans in safety, only to be sunk by running on a snag on a 
subsequent voyage. 

The "Enterprise," the fourth boat on the Ohio, and the first 
to ascend the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, was a small vessel 

163 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

having a capacity of thirty-five tons. She conveyed ordinance 
stores from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in 1814; and in 1815, 
during the battle of New Orleans, was used by Jackson's army. 
The "Enterprise" made the trip from New Orleans to Louisville 
in 25 days. 

The "Washington," built from the old timbers of Fort 
Henry at Wheeling, was the first boat to demonstrate the prac- 
ticability of upstream navigation. In 1817 she made the 
trip from New Orleans to Louisville in 25 days. The effect 
of this success was at once apparent. Previous to the close of 
1816 only 14 steamboats had been built on the western waters; 
but from the date of the voyage of the "Washington," the 
number increased rapidly. By 1829, 314 had been built, of 
which number 133 were then running. 




(Photo by Rombach & Greene.) 
THE PUBLIC LANDING. LONG AGO 

By 1848 steamboating was placed on a systematic basis. 
Lines of packets operated regularly between Cincinnati, Pitts- 
burgh, Louisville, St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans. Steam- 
boat excursions became a favorite pastime; the trip to New 
Orleans indeed often resembled a pleasure party. 

Canals. — Connection with the back country was still a 
serious problem. This need had been recognized b}^ Dr. Daniel 
Drake as early as 1815, when he proposed a canal from Cincin- 
nati to Hamilton. The growth of Cincinnati in a great measure 
depended upon this, and Cincinnati men especially took the 
lead in the movement. In 1818 Governor Brown urged the 
construction of canals in Ohio to increase industry and develop 
the resources of the State. A board of canal commissioners was 
appointed in 1822, of which Micajah J. Williams, of Cincinnati, 
was the most enthusiastic member. To Williams, more than 
any other man, was due the speedy construction of canals in 
Ohio. This work began in 1825, when Governor Clinton, of 

164 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

New York, turned the first spadeful of earth on the Ohio and 
Erie Canal at Newark, and on the Miami and Erie Canal at 
Middletown. The Miami and Erie Canal was complete be- 
tween Cincinnati and Dayton in November, 1828. Navigation 
began in the following March. By July there had arrived over 
the canal 2,372 passengers. Three passenger packets per week 
were put in service, and in 1832 it was estimated that 1,000 
people per week traveled between Cincinnati and Dayton. 

The construction of canals in Ohio caused a rapid develop- 
ment of the interior of the state, and greatly increased the com- 



¥^ 


ll ^ * 


^ 


jM 




4^4ij^fe 


1 *' -^ 


1^ ^ 


_^^^J 







THE CANAL IN THE OLD DAYS 

merce of Cincinnati. The effect on prices was marked. In 
1825 wheat was selling at twenty to thirty cents per bushel. 
After the completion of the canal it rose to fifty and even seventy- 
five cents per bushel. Foreign articles were rendered propor- 
tionally cheaper. In 1829 a bushel of wheat was equal in value 
to 5 5-9 pounds of sugar, or 3 1-3 pounds of coffee. In 1857 a 
bushel of wheat equaled 14 1-5 pounds of sugar or 8 1-2 pounds 
of coffee. 

The Miami and Erie Canal was completed to Toledo in 
1845. Transportation was not established upon the White 
Water Canal until 1848, too late to be of service as railroad 
building had commenced in the Middle West. 

Highways. — For many years the highways leading out of 
Cincinnati were mud roads, inaccessible through the greater 

165 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



part of the year. The improvement of highways in the neigh- 
borhood of Cincinnati did not begin in earnest until about 
1833. Then began the era of building toll roads, called turn- 
pikes. The principal roads out of Cincinnati were built within 
a few years after that date. They cheapened the cost of trans- 
portation, and greatly increased the profits of the farmers. 

These roads were not free to the public, as they were built 
by private capital. At frequent intervals toll gates were placed, 
where the "toll" was collected. The last toll gate was elim- 
inated in Hamilton County only a few^ years ago, when the road, 

by purchase of the county, 
became public property. A 
picture of this old toll gate 
is shown. 

An increased surplus from 
100 miles around Cincinnati 
came to market over these 
turnpike roads. The grocer- 
ies and manufactured goods 
bought in Cincinnati were 
hauled to the villages and 
farms round about. The new 
roads also brought about a 
great increase in the number of stage coach lines. 

With the improvement of means of transportation there came 
a great increase in population and a corresponding increase in the 
amount of agricultural products. Farmers could now market a 
greater surplus, and buy store goods at greatly reduced rates. 

But the product of most interest to Cincinnati was the hog. 
Hogs were fattened on corn and driven to town to be slaughtered 
and prepared for market. The entire region within a radius of 
150 miles of Cincinnati contributed to making Cincinnati a 
great pork market. The business began to be important about 
1825, but it was greatly increased by the opening of the Miami 
and Erie Canal. In 1833 Cincinnati slaughtered nearly 85,000 
hogs; in 1850, 401,755. By 1860 the annual product was $6,300,- 
000. In 1909, the last year for which census figures are available, 
the value of the annual product of slaughtering and meat pack- 
ing was $19,922,613. The business at first was located along 
Deer Creek. Later it moved near Mohawk Bridge, and then to 
Brighton. 

166 




The last toll gate in Cincinnati; Delhi Pike 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

Manufacturing. — ^The manufacturing development of Cin- 
cinnati which had begun at the close of the War of 1812 was 
checked by the panic of 1819. By 1826, however, there began a 
career of rapid manufacturing. The city then was producing 
$1,880,000 annually. A rapidly growing West and South were 
taking more and more of its farm implements, steam engines., 
planing mills, sawmills, sugar machinery, cotton gins, furniture, 
cabinet work, etc. Raw materials, such as coal, iron, wood,, 
leather, etc., were abundant and cheap. 

The fifteen years following 1826 may be called the formatixe 
period in Cincinnati's industries. Products increased ien-fold. 
Lines were established that continued for many years; and, 
indeed, still in a great measure determine the industries of the 
city. The workshop of 1826, with two or three apprentices, 
developed into a factory. The manufactured products were 
still, however, mostly handwork. The number of power plants 
was limited. A few steam engines were in use. And a few mills 
were using water power from the canal. 

Cincinnati at that time was endeavoring to compete with the 
East, not by underselling, but by making a superior article. 
As was said by a manufacturer of that time, "The whole com- 
petition here is, W^ho can make the best piece of goods? not 
Who will make the cheapest?" 

From 1841 to 1859 there was a period of rapid development. 
In 1841 the value of Cincinnati's manufactured products 
amounted to vS18,000.000; in 1851, to S54,000,000; in 1860 it 
had raised to $112,000,000. In 1909 it amounted to vS262.- 
000,000. 

Early Railroads. — While the period of Cincinnati's devel- 
opment between the War of 1812 and the Civil War was dis- 
tinctly the period of the steamboat, the canal, and the stage 
coach, yet after 1850 the railroad had so far expanded as ma- 
terially to affect the economic development of the region trii)- 
utary to the city. 

The first negotiations for the building of a railroad con- 
necting the South with Cincinnati began in 1835. Certain 
people at Paris, Kentucky, were considering the construction 
of a road from Paris to Cincinnati. This idea was favored by 
Dr. Daniel Drake and other leading citizens of Cincinnati, who, 
with a larger view, proposed extending the contemplated road 
from Cincinnati to Charleston, South Carolina. A people's 

167 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



meeting was held at the Commercial Exchange on the Public 
Landing, August 10, 1835, for the purpose of considering the 
proposition. At this meeting a committee of three was ap- 
pointed to inquire into the matter and report on the advantages 
of the proposed road. Dr. Drake was chairman of the com- 
mittee. At a later meeting, August 15, he read an elaborate 
report setting forth the commercial, social, and political ad- 
vantages of this road to Charleston. He pointed out that the 
Miami Canal and the Ohio Canal would connect the northern 
lakes and the territory adjoining them with the proposed road, 
and that the Wabash and Erie Canal and the proposed railroad 
from Lawrenceburg to Indianapolis would carry its advantages 
into Indiana. The Ohio River would connect with the entire 
Mississippi Valley. "Thus the proposed main trunk from Cin- 
cinnati to Charleston would resemble an immense horizontal 
tree, extending its roots through and into ten States and a vast 
expanse of uninhabited territory in the northern interior of 
the Union, while its branches would wind through half as many 
populous States on the southern seaboard." 

One of the earliest locomotives ever operated in the United 
States was the "Cincinnati," used by the South Carolina Rail- 
It was one of three, the others being named 
the "Kentucky" and the 
"Allen," built by "Tayleur 
of England" in 1835, and 
used on what was to be the 
southern end of the great line 
connecting Cincinnati with 
Charleston. The names 
"Kentucky" and "Cincin- 
nati" are significant of the 
purpose of the projectors of 
the South Carolina railroad 
to cooperate with our citizens and have their line extended to 
Cincinnati. 

A general interest in the movement was aroused throughout 
the South. As a consequence, in February, 1836, the Ken- 
tucky Legislature granted a right of way for the proposed road 
through the State of Kentucky. In honor of this occasion 
there was a grand celebration by the three cities of Cincinnati, 
Covington, and Newport . Cincinnati was brilliantly illuminated ; 

168 



road Company. 




"THE CINCINNATI," 1835 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

and, in spite of a snowstorm, an enthusiastic torchlight proces- 
sion paraded the streets. 

In the summer of the same year a great railroad convention 
was held at Knoxville, attended by delegates from nine States, 
and presided over by Governor Robert Young Hayne, of South 
Carolina. The delegates from Ohio were Governor Vance, 
Dr. Drake, and E. D. Mansfield. In 1837 the State Legislature 
authorized Cincinnati to borrow $600,000, one-half of which 
was to be used for the road to Charleston and the other half 
of which was for the Little Miami Railroad. 

This movement for the Cincinnati and Charleston road 
failed because of certain impossible conditions imposed by 
Kentucky in granting the charter. The Kentucky Legislature 
required that three roads should be built from Lexington to 
the Ohio River, one terminating at Maysville, one at Louisville, 
and one at Covington. The money appropriated by Cincinnati 
for the Charleston road was used for the construction of the 
AVhitewater Canal. This itself was later abandoned. The bed 
-of it is now used as an entrance for the railroads to the 
Central Union Station at Third Street and Central Avenue. 

Other occasions for delay in the construction of a railroad 
connecting Cincinnati with the South followed one after an- 
other. Not until after the Civil War did Cincinnati realize her 
Southern Railway. 

Other railroad schemes followed. The first of these to be 
completed was the Little Miami Railroad, extending from Cin- 
cinnati to Xenia, Ohio, a distance of sixty-five miles. This rail- 
road was later extended to Springfield, eighty-five miles from 
Cincinnati. From there it was extended to connect with the Mad 
River and Lake Erie road. The principal reason for building 
this road was to connect the back country with water trans- 
portation. The idea of a through line, other than where na\'- 
igation was impossible, was never contemplated in this scheme. 

The chief engineer of the Little Miami Railroad was Ormsby 
M. Mitchell, who is better known as the founder of the Cin- 
cinnati Observatory. He was also interested in other railroad 
projects affecting Cincinnati. Mitchell, in cooperation with 
George W. NefT, secured a loan of $200,000 from the City Coun- 
cil, and induced the State of Ohio to pledge its credit for $115,000 
more. They also secured substantial aid from eastern capi- 
talists. The road was built during the trying times of the panic 

169 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

of 1837 and after. The company was for this reason under 
frequent and continued embarrassment during its construction. 
In 1843 these eighty-five miles of strap railroad were at last 
opened for traffic. The rolling stock consisted of one loco- 
motive, two passenger cars, and eight freight cars, all built in 
Cincinnati. By July 17, 1844, the road was completed to 
Xenia. Two years later, August 10, 1846, the first train ran 
into Springfield. By 1848 Cincinnati had railway connection 
with Lake Erie at Sandusky. B\' 1850 it was possible to go by 
rail from Cincinnati to Columbus, the capital of Ohio, via 
Xenia. 

The Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Da\ ton, the second railroad 
built to Cincinnati, was chartered March 2, 1846. It was 
opened for business on September 19, 1850, a little more than a 
year after the work of construction had commenced. 

Other roads centering in Cincinnati were: the Ohio and 
Mississippi, to St. Louis, opened May, 1857, and the Marietta 
and Cincinnati railroad, completed to the Little Miami River 
at Loveland in May, 1857. These railroads, running in con- 
nection with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, made through 
continuous trips between Baltimore, Cincinnati, and St. Louis 
at the beginning of the Civil War. Only three lines then di- 
rectly entered Cincinnati; but through them Cincinnati had 
numerous connections to the Lakes and to the Eastern cities. 
About two thousand miles of railroad had been completed in 
Ohio by 1859, and nearly three thousand miles were in direct 
connection with Cincinnati. The city was connected with Balti- 
more through the Marietta and Ohio and Baltimore and Ohio 
railroads; with Philadelphia, through the Little Miami and the 
Pennsylvania; and with New York by way of Lake Erie at To- 
ledo, Sandusky, and Cleveland. Two lines extended to St. 
Louis. Indirectly, it had also connection with Chicago, which 
was then (1859) but a small city. 

While Cincinnati was reaching out for new trade by way of 
railroad construction, other cities were doing the same. Lines 
were extended from Chicago into the Northwest, and from St. 
Louis into Illinois and up the Missouri. Louisville was cutting 
off much of our southern trade by the construction of the Louis- 
ville and Nashville road. Columbus and Indianapolis were the 
forerunners of numerous commercial centers not dependent 

170 



EARLY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

on water transportation. While the railroads benefited Cin- 
cinnati, they also stopped that relatively great increase which 
marked Cincinnati's growth during the period of the steamboat. 

The Cincinnati Southern Railway. — Such was Cincinnati's 
economic development down to 1861. For four years after 
this, in common,with the rest of the country, Cincinnati suffered 
from the effects of the Civil War. When the South had suffi- 
ciently recovered from the stress of war to be able again to buy 
Cincinnati products, much of the commerce of that region, as 
well as that of the North, had been deflected from the river to 
the railroad. Cincinnati's only connection with the South, 
except the all-water route, was by river to Louisville, thence 
via Louisville and Nashville railway to Nashville and Chatta- 
nooga. This condition gave Louisville a decided advantage 
over Cincinnati in competition for southern trade. 

By the spring of 1868 Cincinnati men felt that the con- 
struction of an independent southern railroad was a commer- 
cial necessity for the growth of this city. "Cincinnati was 
without a back country, and had ceased to grow. Facing her 
at the south was a vast empire, rich in natural resources, con- 
taining a population of 4,000,000, and penetrated by 4,000 miles 
of railroad converging at Chattanooga, where she could have no 
successful rival if the intervening rivers were bridged, and the 
mountains pierced by the iron way." 

The subject was under constant discussion in Cincinnati. 
Various projects were proposed. A second attempt to build the 
road, at this time by private enterprise, failed. The constitu- 
tion of Ohio prevented municipal corporations from taking 
stock in private companies, so that this plan was not feasible. 
It remained for Mr. Alexander E. Ferguson to point out that 
while Cincinnati could not give her assistance to a private 
company, yet the state constitution did not prevent her from 
building the road as an independent venture. 

In the meantime Mr. Ferguson drafted a bill, which was 
passed by the state Legislature, enabling the city to build the 
road, provided the city Council declared it necessary, and pro- 
vided a majority of the voters declared in favor of the con- 
struction by the city of such a road. The matter was finally 
decided by a special election, June 26, 1869, at which 15,435 
votes were cast in favor of it and 1,500 against. 

171 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

This city-owned road, the Cincinnati Southern Railway, 
was completed in 1880. Since then it has been an exceedingly 
important factor in the development of Cincinnati's man- 
ufacturing and commercial interests. For it opened up a wide 
range of new territory and provided prompter transportation 
and better shipping facilities from Cincinnati to the entire 
South. It is now leased to the Cincinnati, New Orleans, and 
Texas Pacific Railway Company, and brings to the city a large 
revenue. This in 1914 amounted to 81,219,050. It has cost the 
city about $30,000,000. But as all improvements made by the 
lessee company become the property of the city, the Cincinnati 
Southern Railway now represents a real asset to Cincinnati of 
about s$60,000,000. 

Upon the completion of this railroad a grand banquet was 
given at Music Hall, March 18, 1880, by the citizens of Cin- 
cinnati to nearly 1,800 Southern men. In response to the toast 
"The Cincinnati Southern Railway," Mr. Ferguson made the 
following remarks touching on the reunion of the North and 
South: "Although it has been built to serve the purpose of 
trade, it will have a higher and nobler use. As its trains pa&s 
back and forth like a shuttle in a weaver's loom, they will form 
a web of union between the states heretofore separated by 
mountain barriers. Those who have been strangers will become 
neighbors; new ties, not of interest alone but of affection will be 
created; and sectional antipathy wnll give place to a feeling of 
love for a common country and the institution founded by an 
illustrious ancestry." 



'»''<!lfsw'^^*'^r^UJgpSP!il!glilili8»J''? 






TAi" 7Jlrr*i 



ym-^r 



CINCINNATI SOUTHERN RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER THE KENTUCKY RIVER 



172 



CHAPTER XVII 
Present-Day Industry and Commerce 

One-third of the entire population of the United States is 
Hving within 400 miles of Cincinnati. It is not distinctly a 
farming population, a mining population, nor a manufacturing 
population, but consists of all three. Within this area is pro- 
duced a large proportion of the farm products of the Middle 
West, is mined nearly one-half of the bituminous coal of the 
country, and is represented practically the entire industrial 
field of the United States. 

Thus we find in the section of the country immediately" in 
the vicinity of Cincinnati a wide range in the character of the 
population and of manufacture. 

The word "industry," as herein used, refers to a group or 
class of similar kinds of manufacture which collectively arc 
considered one "industry" by the United States Census. 

Eighty-seven per cent (231) of the 264 industries recognized 
by the census are located in the five states of Ohio, Indiana, 
Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, this section forming 
Cincinnati's nearest trade territory. In seventy of these in- 
dustries this district alone produces more than one-eighth of the 
total production of the United States. 

In these states live one-sixth of the people, and is produced 
13.1 per cent of the manufacture of the United States. Thirty- 
eight per cent of these people live in cities and towns and sixty- 
two per cent on farms. Two-thirds of the natural gas and one- 
fifth of the petroleum of the United States is produced in these 
five states. 

Here, in fact, are found all the principal raw materials en- 
tering into industries of widely varying lines. Being at the 
center of this great area, Cincinnati is undoubtedly the logical 
point at which to bring these raw materials together, and fab- 
ricate them into finished products ready for the great markets 
at its doors. Accessibility to markets is of equal importance to 
nearness of supply of raw materials. It avails nothing to pro- 
duce goods unless they can be sold to advantage. 

173 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Diversity of Manufacture. — Because of these conditions, 
Cincinnati is a city having a great variety of manufacture. It 
is not dominated by any one industry. The largest, which is 
foundry and machine shop products, is but ten per cent of the 
total. Within this class is included the manufacture of machine 
and wood-working tools, in which Cincinnati leads the country. 
Of all the industries recognized by the census, Cincinnati has 
forty-five, the products of each of which is more than one-half 
million dollars per year. Nearly all these industries require 
skilled workers. An ample population of skilled workers is 
<iistinctive of Cincinnati. 

Its great and unusual diversity of manufacture largely ac- 
counts for Cincinnati's financial stability, and for its freedom 
from the pinch of hard times. Experience has shown that such 
hard times reach it last and leave it first. A financial panic has 
never visited the city. 

On the other hand, a city of one dominant industry is most 
severely crippled when hard times arrive. Failure of demand 
for its product ma\' cause its single industry to suspend opera- 
tions, and may throw a large proportion of the inhabitants out 
of work. Conditions may arise when failure of supply of even 
one raw material or the strike of one single class of workmen 
will cause such suspension. Hard times, stringent financial 
conditions aft'ect such a city first and leave it last. 

The mere fact that such an unusually wide variety of sub- 
stantial industries exists in Cincinnati indicates an equally wide 
variety of availal)le raw materials. 

Cincinnati is not only a city of many kinds of industries, 
Ijut it is distinctly a manufacturing rather than a jobbing or 
wholesale center, although its jobbing interests are of great 
importance. 

The relative importance of jobbing or wholesale selling of 
merchandise is not as great in Cincinnati as it was years ago. 
In the early days both manufacturing and wholesale merchandis- 
ing developed in this city very rapidly. The city was the one 
center for both in what was then the West. As other large cities 
grew and railroads were built, these cities became the centers 
for wholesale distribution of merchandise in their immediate 
sections, and they also developed manufacturing industries. 
But a manufacturer can reach markets much farther away than 
a wholesaler. So, while the manufacturing establishments of 

174 



PRESENT-DAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

Cincinnati grew in number and size, wholesalers from the newly 
arisen population centers were beginning to supply trade which 
formerly had gone to Cincinnati. In addition to this, it is be- 
lieved by many who have studied the situation that some of 
our jobbers were not as ready as they might have been to meet 
the competition as it arose. Many of them, by their independ- 
ent attitude, brought about by long having had no competition, 
made it easy for other business centers to secure their trade. 

While jobbing as compared to manufacturing is not so large 
a business factor as formerly, because the market area for whole- 
sale distribution has been contracted, Cincinnati's natural posi- 
tion as a railroad center of a very populous and prosperous part 
of the country makes this city a logical jobbing center. Its 
wholesale interests are most important, especially in coal, paper, 
grain, whiskey, groceries, pig iron, hardware, drygoods, office 
supplies, and wearing apparel. 

The principal manufacturing industries, as classified and 
reported by the United States Census, are scheduled upon the 
graphic charts shown in this book. The figures are given for the 
"metropolitan district," which includes not only the city of 
Cincinnati, but adjacent communities in both Ohio and Ken- 
tucky. 

CINCINNATI 

VALUE OF PRODUCTS FOR PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES 

From U. S. Census, Manufactures, 1909 

rOUNDlfY AND MACHINE SHOPS $2&,/le..470 ■^^■■^■■^^■■^■■■I^H 

LIQUORS ■ MALT, OlSTILLCO.VItlOUS f 2Z,IS2, S-^O ^■■■^■■■■■■i^K] 

CLOTI-IING 1^2 0,559, /<70 ■■^■■■■■^■■^■D 

5LAUGHTERINS AND PACKIHG j^ / <? , 9^^ £ ' O i^HH^^^H^^HH^ 

BOOTS AMD SHOES ^ (4,9<?;, £,70 I^^BHB^^^^^H 

PRINTING AHO PUBLISMine f /3,99?,t(0 

CARQIAGES AND \A/AGONS f t,IS7,G70\ 

LUMBER PRODUCTS f 7,401. 5G0\ 

BAKERY PRODUCT'S f S.GV.ZSO | 

FURNITURE AND REFR16ERATORS $ S,C4b.OtO\ 

TOBACCO PRODUCTS f S ,4'>&,i'tO | 

LEATHER- TANNED. CURRIED f S,0St,120 | 

COPPER, TIN AND SHEET IRON f ■4-, 470,090 | 

a^INT AND VARNISH f 3,t71.glO | 

STO[/eS AND FURNACES f 2.314. 950 \ 

COFFEE AND SPICE PRODUCT^ f 2,110,020 | 

CONFFCTIOHERY f 2 ,02%OtO \ 
CHART 7 

^2 175 




THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Although the manufacture of soap is a very promineni 
factor in Cincinnati, the census does not furnish special figures 
in regard to it. At the time the census was taken only a com- 
paratively small part of the soap business was reported from the 
city of Cincinnati. The figures for the district could not he 
given without the disclosure of operation of individual plants 
located just be^'ond the city limits. 

Detailed statistics for all manufactures are as folloWvS: 

The District. Cincinnati Only. 

Number of establishiiienls 2,827 2,184 

Persons engaged in manufacture ')5,57l 72,488 

Proprietors and firm members. . . 2,593 2,01,5 

Salaried employees 12,640 10,281 

Wage earners (average numl^eri 80,332 60,192 

Primary horsepower". 140,254 88,597 

Capital S212,555,469 S150,254,292 

Wages 41,736,010 31,100,972 

Value of product 260,.S99,619 194,515,692 

Labor. — Cincinnati is a city of skilled American labor. Of 
our population, 14.25 per cent are wage earners — a greater pro- 
portion than that of New York, Chicago, Boston, St. Louis. 
BufTalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, or 
San Francisco, and practically the same as that of Cleveland, 
with its alien population six times as great as ours. 

CINCINNATI 

NUMBER OF WAGE EARNERS IN PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES 

From U. S. Census, Manufactures, 1909 

OUtlDHY AHD MACHIt€ SHOPS llioe ^■■^■■■■^■■■■■■■■i 

CLOTH INS 8445 IHH^HlBHBHHHHi 

50073 AND SHOES 7969 Hi^l^^HHHBHBi 

PRINTING AND PUBUSHINi 5000 

TOBACCO POODUCTS 2898 

CAPRIAGE5 ■ WA60N5 2351 

FUSNI JURE ■ REFRIGERAT0P5 2 754 

LUMBER PRODUCTS 2413 

LIQUORS • MALT, DI5 T. , VINOUS 2302 MBH 

BAKERY PRODUCTS I49T WKt 

SLAUGHTERING, PACKING 1139 ■■ 

COPPER, TIN , 5HEE T IRON 1 126 Bi 

L EA THER - TANNED CURRIED 997 m 

5T0VE5-rURNACE5 872 m 

CONFECTIONERY 77/ ■ 

PAINT AND VARNISH 408 U 

CHART 6 

176 




PRESENT-DAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

In the manufacturing establishments of our industrial dis- 
trict, 95,571 people are employed. Of these, 80,vS32 are classified 
as wage earners. The others are clerks, officers, superintend- 
ents, and executives. 

Cincinnati's residents to the number of 172,373 are em- 
ployed: 26,142 in trade, 26,517 in domestic service, 16,105 in 
clerical occupations, 14,572 in transportation, 8,871 in the pro- 
fessions, and 2,973 in public service. 

Fuel and Power. — Another important factor contributing lo 
the value of Cincinnati as an industrial center is the almost 
inexhaustible supply of the finest bituminous and smokeless 
coal in the world. 

Because of the Ohio River, the great waterway upon which 
the United States Government is spending millions of dollars 
to convert into a canal of commerce, the cost of bringing coal 
to our boiler-rooms is so low as to reduce the cost of steam power 
to a minimum in this city. __ 

RELATIVE AVERAGE COST PER PRIMARY HORSE 

POWER ALL INDUSTRIES 

From U. S. Census, Manufactures, 1909 

CINCINNATI ■■■■■« 2.l.(aO 

BALTIMORE ^MHW//////////^ a -a. q •>, » 

5T. LOUIS ^^^^^^8*50. %o 

PMIL ADELPMI A^^^^^^^ J -5 -i-.i-o 

DETROIT ^^^^^^^STi^a.Uo 

PITTSBURG VMMMM^MM/zyT^^ -SI O r> 

BUFFALO ^^^^^^^^-jq.Uo 

CLEVELAND ^^^^^^^$A.o.Zo 

BOSTON WM'/y>M'///////^7Z'77P77777\<^ ^ \ .<^ " 

CHICAGO W///////////////////////////////x\ st-yr. 

NEW YORK v///^^///y'/^//// /////////////////zr^:'m ^ (-« 1 ^ 



CHART 9 



Chart No. 9 shows the relative approximate cost of power 
in Cincinnati and other cities. These figures do not include any 
overhead expense. They are derived by dividing the total 
yearly cost of fuel and rented power by the total primary (avail- 
able) horse power for all manufacturing plants. While these 
figures are relative only, and include fuel not used for power, 

177 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

they fairly show the approximate comparative cost of power 
for the different cities, and indicate the great advantage en- 
joyed by Cincinnati manufacturers. 

AVERAGE RELATIVE VALUE BITUMINOUS COAL FROM DIFFERENT STATES, 
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EFFECT OF ASH 

WSST VIR&HIA ^lOO 
WEST VIRGINIA V//////////////////////////////A lOQX 

EASTERN KFNTUCKY V///////////////////////////A (i5.2X 
PENNSYLVANIA V///////////////yMy/////A 9P.SZ 

ALABAMA V///////////////////////A SH. SZ 

A RKA NSAS V//////////////////////A 34. OX 

TENNESSEE \l///////////////////////A eo.6X 

OHIO V///////////////777777Z\ ©^. 7Z 

WESTEIfN K KNTUCKY V//////////////////////A BO.SZ 
KANSAS V///////////////////AVA 77.aX 

INDIANA V/////////y'/////y'77P77A 7S.I/i 

fLUNOIS V///////////////ZV77X 71 aX 

IOWA V//////////////777A gaSX: 

MISSOUlfl Y/////////////7Zr^ g7g-r 

CHART 10 
Compiled from 543 composite analyses by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, of samples from all 

coal -producing counties in the above States. The above table assumes that each 5% offish 

lessens the value of the coal (i'','c- 

Chart No. 10 shows the comparative values of bituminous 
and semi-bituminous coal from different fields. Practically all 
Cincinnati's supply comes from those that head the list— West 
Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. This coal 
averages about 14,000 B. T. U. (British Thermal Units) in heat 
value. 

Between thirty and forty millions of dollars have been 
spent by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the last few- 
years, opening to us new fields in Eastern Kentucky. The 
Chesapeake and Ohio, Norfolk and Western, and Baltimore and 
Ohio Railroads are now extending their lines into the Kentucky 
coal fields. During the year 1915 the receipts of coal at Cin- 
cinnati were: by rail, 13,542,193 tons; by river, 4,259,584 tons. 
The shipments of coal were: by rail, 11,540,120; by river, 
287,660 tons. 

Nearly one-half of the entire production of bituminous coal 
in the United States is mined within 400 miles of Cincinnati. 

178 



PRESENT-DAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

Cincinnati, in fact, is the one point from which these high- 
grade coal fields are easily accessible by rail and water at low 
freight cost. Thus the city enjoys the advantage not only of a 
variety of kinds of the highest grade coal in the country, but 
buys this coal at such a low figure as to make possible this re- 
markable showing as to the cost of power. 

Other factors of low power cost, besides coal of the best quality 
sold at low prices, are the high efficiency of power installations in 
Cincinnati factories and low rates for commercial electric cur- 
rent and natural gas in this city. The electric rates recently 
have been reduced. Natural gas is supplied at a net cost of 
from 12 to 30 cents per 1,000 cubic feet. It is very high in fuel 
value, running 1,100 to 1,200 B. T. U. Both electric current 
and natural gas are supplied at the seime rates over a wide 
territory — ^far outside the 72 square miles embraced by the city. 

Transportation (Railroad). — Cincinnati is the natural gateway 
to the South. It is served by 17 railroads, which is more than 
any other city along the Ohio River. Cincinnati forms the 
northern terminus of the Louisville and Ncishville, the Cincin- 
nati Southern (owned by the city of Cincinnati and connecting 
it with Chattanooga), and other railroads serving Southern 
territory. 

An average of 111 freight trains arrive and 113 depart daily. 
There is received daily by rail an average of 32,494 tons of 
freight. An average of 129 passenger trains depart, and an 
equal number arrive daily. 

Cincinnati is one of the most important junction points of 
the Baltimore and Ohio, Chesapeake and Ohio, and other railroads 
connecting the South with New York, Philadelphia, and other 
great Eastern seaports. Here also are the terminals of the New- 
York Central, the Pennsylvania, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton, 
and Dayton, which carr\' the bulk of the trade from the 
North-Central States to the South. 

Cincinnati is served by more railroads than any other city 
along the Ohio River, and within its switching limits has 1,148.5 
miles of track. 

Through Cincinnati moves a great volume of traffic between 
the North and South and between the East and West. For a 
large portion of this traffic between the North and South, Cin- 
cinnati is what is known as a rate-breaking point. This makes 
it a neutral distributing center for each region of the products 

179 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

of the other, with decided advantages in freight rates over other 
cities located north or south of the Ohio River. 

The switching limits embrace the entire Cincinnati indus- 
trial district, both in Ohio and Kentucky. They extend ap- 
proximately 25 miles east and west, and about 20 miles north 
and south. 

All Cincinnati lines have in effect reciprocal switching ar- 
rangements under which industries located on one line can 
receive and forward their carload business via an^^ other line 
under switching charges which are reasonable. In most cases 
these are assumed by the railroads and not charged to the shipper. 

Cincinnati shippers also enjoy the privilege of what are 
known as trap cars. The cars are sent by the railroads to pri- 
vate switches. In them shippers are allowed to load less than 
carload shipments for different destinations. 

A package car is one which is filled with small shipments 
from different firms, but all consigned lo the same point, to 
which the car is sent direct. 

Over 600 of these package cars arc sent from Cincinnati 
daily. Such service insures the delivery of less than carload 
shipments in practically the same time as carloads. The service 
is available over 13 railroads to points as far west as the Pacific 
C^oast, east to the Atlantic Seaboard, south to the Gulf, and 
north to the Great Lakes. 

There are 85 freight stations and team tracks, the latter 
being public switches from which freight may be loaded and 
unloaded. Warehouses with 1,()3.S,885 stjuare feet of floor space, 
26 in number, afford ample warehousing facilities. The area of 
freight yards has been greatly enlarged the last few years, and 
further expansion is in sight. 

Transportation (Water). — The Ohio River is used for freight 
and passenger trathc between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and 
Louisville and Cincinnati and intervening points. The bulk of 
the river tonnage is afforded by coal. About 2,000,000 tons 
reach Cincinnati each year from Pennsylvania and West Vir- 
ginia fields. 

For the further development of this commerce the United 
States Government is now at work spending immense sums of 
money on the Ohio River, building a series of locks and dams. 
When completed, this system of river improvement will assure 
a na^Mgable stage of water throughout the year. Then will 

180 



PRESENT-DAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

C'incinnaiiaiis be in i)()S!ii()ii to conslnicl waiir leiiniuals con- 
necting with railroads. When the Mississippi is also provided 
with an all-the-year navigable stage of water, Cincinnati should 
he able to benefit greatly indeed. It may then take full ad- 
vantage of the development of trade expected from the con- 
struction of the Panama Canal. 




FERNBANK DAM IN OHIO RIVER 



Distribution Facilities. — Cincinnati is one of the largest 
distribution centers. It is situated within a few miles of the 
center of population of the United States (which is fifty miles 
away, in Southern Indiana). More points can be reached from 
Cincinnati at lower transportation cost than from any other 
city of the whole country. This is true not only for freight, but 
for express or parcel |X)st shipments. 

The population living within xarious radii is approximatcK' 
as follows: 

Within 100 miles, 2,800,000. Within 400 miles, 31,000,000 

Within 200 miles, 8,700,000. Within 500 miles, 43,000,000 

Within 300 miles, 20,900,000. Within 600 miles, 63,000,000 

When we consider that the entire population of Germany only 
reaches about this latter figure, wc can realize of what an enor- 
mous population Cincinnati is the natural center. 

The Future. — With all these industrial advantages, why 
should not Cincinnati take a more prominent place in the cities 
of the country? What is needed? 

It needs better freight terminal facilities. Freight now takes 
too long to be delivered after reaching the city. It also takes it 
loo long to start on its journey after being shipped. 

181 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

It needs a belt line connecting all railroads to facilitate quick 
transportation from one railroad to another, and to open up 
new areas to industrial development, and thus make available 
new factory sites near where people live. If this is done it will 
make available large districts outside of the area subject to 
overflow. 

It needs water terminals, connected with rail, with adequate 
transhipment facilities. 

It needs a rapid transit system connecting the suburbs with 
each other and with the city, so that workmen may go to and 
from their work more quickly, and, by selecting homes in the 
suburbs, live under better conditions. 

Lt needs a greater willingness upon the part of our people 
to invest their money, whether saved or inherited, in business 
enterprises, rather than in low interest-bearing government, 
county, and municipal bonds. Capital is the very fundamental 
element which makes business possible. The inhabitants of 
Cincinnati, as compared either with East or West, are too con- 
servative in their investment of savings. 

But if the city had all these things and its people were not 
what they should be, the city would not become greater, nor 
take its true position in the growth of the country. With all 
these things attained, and the finest equipped factories and 
business establishments in the world, Cincinnati would remain a 
second rate city unless it had the right kind of men directing 
and working in its factories, business houses, and public offices. 

Above all else, the citizens must be trained to do their work 
well. More of Cincinnati workmen must be skilled workmen. 
Its executives must be first-class executives. Its business men 
must be up with the times. They must be progressive men, 
intelligent, high-minded men, willing to take the needed steps 
forward. The world moves. Things change. Business and 
political methods are different from what they used to be. 
Large-hearted, public-spirited men are needed at the head of 
the movements for city improvement. Self-interest is right for 
home comfort. But for city improvement, a large willingness 
to devote time and money to the whole city's needs is required. 

If our factories are to grow in number and size they must 
be operated so as to be profitable to their owners, otherwise 
money cannot be secured for expansion, or the business even 
maintained and employment provided for the workers. To be 

182 



PRESENT-DAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE 

profitable, a business needs a good brain at its head and willing 
hands everywhere. The executives must be alive to modern 
manufacturing and selling methods; they must know the methods 
of their competitors. They must be able to know, by proper 
accounting methods, what their own business is costing and 
what profit it is making. They must treat their employees 
fairly. Employees must render good services for their wages. 

Other communities by all possible means are endeavoring 
to educate their people to become strong of body, with skillful 
hands and keen minds, wise, capable, and not only willing, but 
ambitious to do their best. 

If Cincinnati is to meet this competition, its people must con- 
tinue to see to it that they, too, develop the highest type of men 
and women. The greatest fundamental influence to this end is 
the Cincinnati public schools. It is the plain duty of every pupil 
in them to do his very best, and to make the most of the great 
and increasing opportunities that the public schools offer. It is 
the plain duty of all men and women to do all in their power to 
offer their help and cooperation. 

What a fine thing it would be for Cincinnati if every person 
in the city, after securing the best possible preparation for the 
work he is to do, would begin at once to do his very best, what- 
ever his job; if he would understand this one simple secret of 
success, that the only way to deserve promotion of any sort is, 
first of all, to do the work at hand as well as it can possibly be 
done, and would further grasp this great principle, that it is 
impossible to fit one's self for a better occupation by being in- 
different to the present job! 

The future of Cincinnati, the welfare, the happiness, the 
comfort, the incomes of its citizens largely depend upon the 
success and growth of its business. Business of some kind or 
other is the basis of all employment. And employment, with 
its consequent pay and of promised comfort, depends by far 
to the greatest extent upon the personal equation — the char- 
acter of the individuals of the city. 



183 



CHAPTER XVIII 
Civic and Commercial Organizations 

Centralized community organization for the development of 
different phases of civic activity is the product of very recent 
years. Formerly the officials of the community were depended 
upon almost entirely to determine what should be done, how it 
should be done, and then to carry out their own plans. Public 
interest became aroused only when some great wrong was about 
to be, or had been, inflicted upon the public by individual 
officials or by the municipal authority; or perhaps when some 
undertaking of most unusual importance was under considera- 
tion. Under such circumstances cooperative action occasionally 
(lid take place, and public opinion then found expression through 
community pressure upon public officials. But once the ob- 
ject of the activity had been attained or the effort had failed, 
associated action was over, and the people who had joined in it 
once more acted as a number of individuals until another crisis 
occurred, when the process was repeated. 

Tt is a matter of common knowledge that until quite recent 
years our American cities were notoriously ill governed. Great 
waste, and even theft of public funds, widespread inefficiency, 
and utmost disregard of public welfare were common and taken 
as a matter of course. Taxes collected from the people at large 
were directed to the private purses of fav^ored ones. , Privilege 
alone was allowed consideration. And so strongly entrenched 
were those who directed this extravagant disregard of public 
rights that few citizens dared even to voice their protests. 

As the people gradually became aware not only that their 
nnmicipal affairs were being grossly mismanaged, but that the 
situation was growing worse instead of better, they at last 
gathered courage in the hope of good results from cooperation. 

At first small groups of citizens, acting together here and 
there, succeeded in gaining certain ends. Civic activity became 
an important function of certain .special business organizations. 

184 



CIVIC AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 

xN'o longer does any one raise any question as to whether the 
Chamber of Commerce, for instance, should or should not in- 
terest itself in the solution of the transit problem of Cincinnati. 
Such interest in the larger affairs of the city government is 
taken as a matter of course. Temporary organizations formed 
for specific local purposes became permanent. As neighborhood 
"welfare" or "improvement" associations, they undertook to 
study local conditions and to strive for those things that were 
felt to be desirable and necessary. 

It is a striking thing that, with the development of civic- 
activity in organizations of many kinds, and great in number, 
municipal government has become cleaner, more efficient, and 
more considerate of public welfare. This movement has not 
been a local one only for Cincinnati. It has become national 
in its scope. 

Herbert Spencer has said: "The man who, expending his 
energies wholly on private affairs, refuses to take trouble about 
public affairs, pluming himself on his wisdom in minding his 
own business, is blind to the fact that his own business is made 
possible only by maintenance of a healthy social state, and thai 
he loses all around by defective governmental arrangements. 
Where there are many like-minded with himself, heavy penalties 
fall on the community at large, and, among others, on those 
who have done everything for self and nothing for society." 

The business man has come to realize the truth of this 
philosophy. He sees that he has a very vital interest in the 
community life of the city, and that civic as well as commercial 
subjects should receive the attention of business men. The 
popular idea a few generations ago was that public affairs were 
none of the business men's business. The officeholders and pro- 
fessional politicians were looking after the city's affairs: "Hands 
off!" was the notice posted to all others. 

But public welfare and the welfare of l)usiness are most 
vitally related. No longer is it questioned that business and 
civic factors ha\'e direct bearing upon each other. Employ- 
ment and wages are dependent upon business. Business is largel\- 
dependent upon the conditions under which it is carried on. 
The employee is interested in the conditions under which he 
must live. He should be interested also in the success of the 
employer; for if employers are not sufficiently successful, they 
cannot give employment to employees. The employer is con- 

185 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

cerned with civic problems, because these problems vitally affect 
the facilities for doing business, and at times even the possibility 
of doing business at all. The health, happiness, education, and 
general welfare of employees are all subjects that vitally affect 
the employer. The necessity of good government, of attractive 
surroundings, and of intelligent regard for the comfort, recrea- 
tion, and general welfare of the public are now being recognized 
as essential to the growth and general prosperity of any city. 

The live business man these days, therefore, is interested in 
community welfare and all its problems — the public health, 
schools, streets, and street lighting, transportation, police pro- 
tection, recreation, hospitals, and the many other functions of 
the modern city. 

This interest, which is rapidly becoming manifested by 
people in all walks of life, has given rise to civic activity upon 
the part of many organizations. Some of these organizations 
devote their entire energies to civic matters. Others, such as 
the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, are, primarily, business 
organizations. But even these special organizations, recognizing 
the close relation between business and community welfare are 
found to be in the forefront of civic activity. When any civic 
activity is to be undertaken, the Chamber of Commerce is one 
that naturally takes a leading part. 

Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. — The Cincinnati Cham- 
ber of Commerce is the great business organization of Cincinnati. 
It has about 3,000 members, who represent practically the entire 
local commercial and professional field. 

The Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest organizati<ins 
in the city. It was established in 1839. This association of 
business men has a long and honorable record for the things it 
has accomplished for Cincinnati and in the interests of business. 

Such terms as "efficiency" and "scientific managem.cnt" 
have recently appeared in our vocabulary. It is obvious that 
this tendency to efficiency in business should affect the methods 
not only of business or of factory, but also of voluntary organi- 
zations. Commercial associations are adopting the efficiency 
idea in the conduct of their activities. 

This new kind of organization is typified in the Cincinnati 
Chamber of Commerce. To-day, instead of the work being 
done through committees of members, able to give only their 
spare time to the subjects under discussion, a different plan is 

186 



CIVIC AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 




Chamber of Commerce building 
which stood on site of Union 
Central Building. 



followed. In order that careful investigation in any subject 
may be made and proper consideration given to each side of 
each subject, a staff of experts in special lines has been estab- 
lished. Their services arc at the com- 
mand of the various committees com- 
posed of members of the Chamber 
of Commerce. 

Thus by bringing together in one 
organization over 3,000 men from 
many walks of life, there has been 
developed a great central organization 
which is constantly increasing in value 
and influence in the community. As 
small and isolated organizations be- 
come subsidiary groups in this large 
central body, wasteful duplication of 
effort is eliminated, and they secure 
influence which formerly was lacking. 

Careful consideration of the big community problems and 
a policy of delil^erate but firm action distinguishes the Cincin- 
nati Chamber of Commerce. Questions of 
all sorts affecting business and community 
interests are here considered. Various sorts 
of service are rendered, from the manifold 
aclixities of the civic and industrial depart- 
ment and the securing of conventions, to the 
(official weighing and grading of hay and 
grain for the city of Cincinnati. 

The Chamber of Commerce used to oc- 
cupy its own building at the southwest 
corner of Fourth and Vine Streets. This 
was a most beautiful Gothic structure, de- 
signed by Richardson, the famous architect. 
It w^as destroyed by fire in 1911. The 
Chamber has an equity of $600,000 in the 
site upon which this building stood, and 
where the Union Central Building now 
stands. In this thirty-four-story building, 
opened in 1913, the Chamber of Commerce now has its quarters. 
The second and third floors are thus occupied. Here is to be 
found one of the few "exchanges" conducted by Chambers of 

187 





Union Central Building. 

highest west of 

New York 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Commerce; here are located the executive offices and the many 
departments. 

The exchange hall is the meeting place for business men. 
Here is posted information of various sorts — news bulletins, 
quotations of stock exchanges, and so forth. Here the members 
of the Chamber come for general meetings. Here they buy and 
sell. At present the principal commodities handled are grain 
and hay. Formerly many other articles were dealt in, but with 
the advent of the telephone and other modern instruments of 
l)usiness, the barter on the exchange has been limited practically 
to grain and hay, commodities that are bought by sample. The 
exchange is not a stock exchange. Actual transactions only 
take place. There is no dealing in margins or futures or in 
stocks or bonds. 

The many activities of the great organization are centered 
in 1,^ departments as follows: 

Auditing and Purchasing Department. 

Civic and Industrial Department. 

Convention and Publicity Department. 

Exchange Hall. 

Foreign Trade Department. 

Inspection Department. 

Legal Department. 

Membership Department. 

Retail Merchants' Department. 

Statistical Department. 

Trade Expansion Department. 

Traffic Department. 

Weighing Department . 

There are many subsidiary and several affiliated organiza- 
tions. The activities include perhaps a wider range than those 
of any other Chamber of Commerce in the country. Hardly 
any definite forward movement is made without the cooperation 
of this institution. Its influence upon commerce and industry 
is more than local, and indeed for many \ears it has been felt 
throughout the country. 

Welfare Associations, Federated Improvement Association. 
—The local "welfare" or "improvement" association move- 
ment has been developed to a remarkable degree in certain 
.American cities, Cincinnati among them. Cincinnati is really a 
union of a great many separate communities which only a few 

188 



CIVIC AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 

years ago were separate villages or towns. The limits of many 
of them are still plainly marked by topography or other natural 
conditions. 

These welfare associations, above forty in number, vary in 
size from a few score to over a thousand members, the total 
membership being about ten thousand. These associations havx' 
been able, through concerted action on the part of their mem- 
bers, to secure many \-aluable improvements for their respectixe 
communities. Their value to the city is admitted. In 1907 
these separate associations joined their efforts in the Federated 
Improvement Associations, which is composed of three delegates 
from each of the affiliated local welfare organizations. 

Welfare associations are most diligent and efficient in look- 
ing after the interests of their respective sections of tha cit\ . 
But often intense desire by a local association for some local 
improvement may occasionally demand and even secure things 
that are not for the whole public welfare. The activities of 
each association are not contingent upon the sanction of the 
others, nor even upon the approval of the Federation. For the 
Federation is a conference of delegates from the various affiliated 
organizations, and has no control over the activities of the 
welfare associations. 

As a rule, these welfare associations take action in civic 
matters only after a committee has looked into the situation, 
and has made recommendations based upon its investigations. 
This is a wise method, as the average man has little opportunity- 
to investigate for himself, and action without investigation is 
often untimely. The caution here would be to point out the 
necessity upon the part of the committees of getting at the full 
facts, especialty when technical questions are involved, or the 
situation is one touching complicated functions of municipal 
government. 

The Federated Improvement Associations has been identihed 
with many movements for civic betterment. Among these might 
be mentioned the following: The extension of public play- 
grounds and athletic fields; the introduction of instruction in 
civics in the public schools; the installation of sanitary drinking 
fountains in the streets; rapid transit; charter; social legislation, 
such as the establishment of the Court of Domestic Relations; 
settlement of the strike of street railway employees; the promo- 
tion of school gardening: the city planning bill. 

189 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The Business Men's Club. — The Business Men's Club oc- 
cupies a fine clubhouse at Ninth and Race Streets. This club 
is essentially social, but has civic activities. The organization 
has about 1,500 members. It has elaborate club facilities in its 
handsome building, and carries on important work for the city 
through its many committees. It has manifested particular 
interest in the rapid transit problem, legislation, both city and 
state, questions of education, safety, and other civic matters. 

The Cincinnati Woman's Club. — The Cincinnati Woman's 
Club is a highly important part of the city life. It was organized 
in 1894 for the purpose of "creating an organized center of 
thought and action among women for the promotion of social, 
educational, literary, and artistic growth, and whatever relates 
to the best interests of the city." The club actively partic- 
ipates in those civic matters relating to the whole community 
in which women should be especially interested. It has its own 
building and auditorium situated at Oak and May Streets, 
Walnut Hills. 

The club is divided into six departments and eleven study 
circles. Each member is urged to join some section in which 
she is most interested. 

The Woman's Club has been a valuable influence for civic 
betterment in the community. The club established the first 
vacation school in the city. It initiated and fostered the play- 
ground and smoke abatement movements in Cincinnati. The 
first public playground west of the Alleghenies was thus estab- 
lished on Pearl Street. Through its 'influence, a matron was 
appointed in the County Jail. It was the pioneer in introducing 
school gardens into Cincinnati. Its aid has been of particular 
value in such matters as the establishment of the school penny 
lunch, the war on tenements and billboards, the clean-up cam- 
paigns, the safe and sane Fourth of July idea, and the fight 
against tuberculosis. 

While the keynote of the Cincinnati Woman's Club life in 
the past has been self-culture, that of the present is far more 
the application of self-culture to community betterment. 

The City Club. — The City Club of Cincinnati holds weekly 
luncheons throughout most of the year. Upon such occasions 
a wide range of civic subjects are discussed. It is the practice 
of the club, as often as possible, to have both sides of a question 
])resented. 

190 



CIVIC AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS 

The constitution of the club says: "Its object shall be to 
bring together frequently men who believe in the complete sep- 
aration of national politics from the administration of all local 
public aflfairs, in order that b>- friendly acquaintance, exchange 
of views, and united activities, intelligent and effective co- 
operation in the work for good government in Cincinnati and 
Hamilton County may be secured." 

The meetings of the club are marked by the most frank dis- 
cussion, and the- custom of (|uestioning speakers after their 
addresses. 

The Cit\- Club has been a ver\^ important factor in the 
forward movement in municipal affairs. It has always stood 
for clean government and municipal reform. It has been of 
great influence in raising the civic ideals of the jieople of Cin- 
cinnati. 

The Bureau of Municipal Research. —The Bureau of Mu- 
nicipal Research is a xoluntary association, supj)orted by private 
subscriptions. Its purpose is to study problems of government 
and to publisli facts in regard to various activities of the cit\-. 
The work of this buri-au has been of great importance, especially 
in connection with municipal accounting, extension of munic- 
ipal social service, specifications for strt-ct i)a\ing, municipal 
l')urchasing, and budget making. 

The Woman's City Club. — The Woman's Cit\' Club of Cin- 
cinnati was organized in 1915. Its membership, which is not 
limited, is now about 1,500 members. A civic director is em- 
ployed, and the club proposes to study civic problems and exert 
its inHuence toward civic betterment. Its city planning com- 
mittee was largely instrumental in securing city planning legis- 
lation in 1915. 

Other Organizations. — ^There are many other organizations 
which take a greater or less interest in civic affairs. Among 
them may be mentioned the Social Workers' Club, the union 
labor organizations, the Taxpayers' Association, the Cincinnati 
Real Estate Exchange, the Commercial Club, the Advertisers' 
Club, and many chu'xh organizations. 

Influence Upon Community Life. — The influence of these 
various organizations upon the community life of the city has 
been most important. Hardly one of these can fairly be given 
entire credit for the accomplishment of any one important gen- 
eral civic undertaking, for the reason that there is greater or 
n 191 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

less cooperation between them. This does not mean that all 
invariably endorse the same thing, tor the>' do not. But se\eral 
at least will usually be found acting" together. 

While the work of these organizations frequently in\ ohes 
much unfortunate duplication of effort and occasional action 
at cross purposes, the members of each group are becoming 
posted as to civic affairs. As people become better informed in 
regard to their communil\- life the\' become more capable of 
discussing ci\ic affairs intelligently, and of moulding public 
opinion along constructi\e lines. Thus not only ha\e these 
civic and commercial organizations secured a \ast number of 
small improvements and some very important larg.' ones, but 
they have served to raise the general standard of citizenship in 
Cincinnati 



192 



CHAPTER XIX 

Public Utilities 

The one essential quality of a public utility is that it is 
engaged in rendering a service which is necessary for, or at least 
of great convenience to, a large number of people within the 
community served by it. It does not consist in using the streets 
or in being a monopoly. The essential is useful public serv-ice, 
needed regularly, whether supplied by an indi\'idual, firm, cor- 
poration, or the municipality itself. 

Public market houses and railways which use only private 
rights of way are examples of public utilities which do not 
occupy the streets; so that the use of streets and public high- 
ways is not an essential characteristic of a public utility. How- 
ever, this is quite usually a normal attribute. 

Characteristics. — Monopoly is often spoken of as a char- 
acteristic of a public utility. It is not necessarily so; for in 
some cities there are two or more competing street railroad 
systems or competing telephone or electric light companies. 
The laws of Ohio, as of most states, forbid the granting of ex- 
clusive franchises. As a rule, however, a public utility has the 
practical monopoly in rendering its particular class of service 
to the particular community in which it is located. This is the 
case with every existing public utility in Cincinnati. The cit\ 
has but one street railroad system, one telephone system, one 
water works, and one company for furnishing electricity and gas. 

Another characteristic fref]uently belonging to public utilities 
is the power of eminent domain; that is, the power to take 
private property without the consent of the owner by paying 
as compensation therefor a sum fixed by the courts. This again 
is not necessarily an attriliule of all utilities, as witnessed by 
the fact that in Ohio, for instance, steam railroads have such 
]:)ower of eminent domain, but street railroads haw no such 
rights. Except for the power houses, the ordinary street-car 
roads occup\' streets. They do not need the power to condenm 
private projierty or to obtain prixate rights of wa>\ 

193 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Classifications. — Utilities may be classified as local and 
uon-local. Local utilities are those which predominantly serve 
one community; as, for instance, the Cincinnati Traction Com- 
pany system serves the city of Cincinnati. The service of an\- 
utility is seldom completely confined to the limits of one cit\-. 
For instance, the Cincinnati Traction Company serves Norwood 
as well as Cincinnati. But the main or predominant field of a 
local public utility is a single community. The examples of 
local public utilities in Cincinnati are the street railroad system, 
the Union Gas & Electric Company's system, the Cincinnati 
and Suburban Bell Telephone Company's system, and the Cin- 
cinnati Water Works. 

A non-local utility is designed chiefly to provide a means of 
transportation or communication between or among two or 
more communities. Typical examples are the steam railroads, 
the interurban railroads, the telegraphs, and the long distance 
telephones. 

Utilities nia\ also be classified according to ownership and 
operation. A utility may be both owned and operated by a 
corporation, as is the case with the street railroad system, the 
gas and electric system, and the telephone system in Cincin- 
nati, a condition known as private ownership and operation; or 
it may be owned by the community and operated by a com- 
]Dany, as is the case with the Cincinnati Southern Railroad, 
which is owned by the city of Cincinnati and leased to and 
operated by the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific 
Railroad Company; or it may be both owned and operated b>- 
the community, as is the case with the Cincinnati Water Works. 

A utility may charge for the service which it renders, or the 
service may be rendered free. For instance, properly speaking, 
the sewer system of a city is a public utility. Practically, all 
sewer systems in the United States are publicly owned, and, as 
a rule, sewerage service is furnished free of charge, as is the case 
in Cincinnati. There are examples, however, of sewer systems 
which make a charge against each piece of property ser\ed. 
The streets are, properly speaking, public utilities. Consider- 
able portions of the present streets of Cincinnati were at one 
time parts of toll roads on which a charge was made. Toll 
roads have been universally abandoned within cities, so that 
streets represent a form of public utility universally owned 
and operated b\- the comniunitv, and practically free of charge. 

194 



PUBLIC UTILITIES 

The city of Cincinnati, however, does, under the present laws 
of Ohio, collect fees for the use of streets by horse-drawn ve- 
hicles; and the state of Ohio collects fees for the use of streets 
and roads in Ohio by motor-drawn vehicles. As a general rule, 
l>ublic utilities, whether publicly or privately owned, make a 
cliarge for their services, which in the case of transportation 
companies are usually called fares, and in the case of other 
companies rates or charges. 

It is possible for a public utility to be owned and operated 
by a private individual or a partnership; but, owing to the 
large amount of money that is needed to complete and extend 
a public utility, privately owned utilities are now almost uni- 
\ ersally in the hands of companies or corporations. 

Public Nature of Public Utilities. — Whether publicly or 
privately owned, a public utility is engaged in performing a 
public or governmental service. The word "public" in "public 
utility" or "public service corporation" means what it say^. 
A street, for instance, is obviously engaged in rendering a public 
service; namely, the furnishing of a public means of transporta- 
tion from one portion of a city to another. Similarly, the street 
railroad on the street, though privately owned, is engaged in 
performing a public service; namely, the same service of fur- 
nishing a public means of transportation from one portion of the 
city to another. The public nature of the street railroad system 
results from the fact that it is furnishing a service public or 
governmental in its nature; and this alone justifies the per- 
mission given public utilities. The obligation to the public ot 
a privately owned utility does not differ substantially from the 
obligation to the public of a publicly owned utility. The chief 
difference comes in the obligation of the public to the utility. 
Hence, if a utility is privately owned, private moneys or capital 
have been invested in it; and, according to the laws and constitu- 
tion of the states and United States, this private capital is en- 
titled to protection, so that the public may not impose upon 
the privately owned utility such obligations as will destroy this 
private capital. The public's control over the privately owned 
utility is complete, except as limited by contract, or as limited 
by this constitutional obligation not to exercise the control in 
such a way as seriously to impair or entirely destroy the value 
of the private capital honestly and actually invested in the 
public service. 

195 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Service and Fares. — Serxicc and fares are the two matters 
in which the people of a community are most interested. Ever\- 
public utility is under obligation t(^ furnish the community in 
which it is located w^ith sufficient and adeciuate service, service 
of such quantity and quality as answers to the needs of the com- 
munity. Included in this matter of service is not merely ade- 
quacy of service in the field alread\' covered by the plant of the 
utilit\-, but also the duty to serve the whole community by ex- 
tending the plant into those portions of the community not alread\' 
served, which, by reason of present and prospective growth in 
population, may reasonably ask for the extension of the service. 

As regards fares, rates, and charges, the general principle 
is that these must be reasonable; that is, that they may be high 
enough to pay the cost of operating the utility at a reasonable 
profit to the owner, but may not be so high as to impair the wel- 
fare of the community or furnish unreasonable profit to the owner. 

Public Control.^ — The vital importance to the health, safet>-, 
prosperity, and w'elfare of the community of good public utility 
service at reasonable prices cannot be overstated. It is the 
modern public utilities which make urban communities pos- 
sible. And it is the adequacy and cheapness of the service of 
these utilities which determine the growth, health, and pros- 
jierity of these communities. Public safety is dependent upon 
the lighting of the streets; the cost and efficiency of all activities, 
business and social, are vitally affected by the facilities for light- 
ing and heating buildings. The health of suburban life is un- 
attainable without adequate transportation facilities. The cost 
of living is affected by the cost of these services. The social 
importance of the adecjuacy and cost of public utility service 
is evident. 

These considerations show the necessity,' of i)ublic control 
over rates and service. This control may be exercised b\' state 
administrative or by legislative bodies, such as a state Public 
Utilities Commission, or by state legislature, or by local ad- 
ministrative public service. Just where the control is lodged 
over any particular utility in any community is simply depend- 
ent upon the provisions of the laws governing that community. 
For instance, at the present time the control over service and 
rates rendered by the gas and electric system of Cincinnati is 
divided between the city Council, the Director of Public Service 
of Cincinnati, and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. 

196 



PUBLIC UTILITIES 

The relathr acKantagcs of state or local c"()iUrol is a subject 
that has aroused much discussion, into the merits of which 
there is no need to enter here. 

Franchises. — Often the rates to be charged, the ciuality or 
(luantity of service rendered, and the method and extent of 
public control arc expressly set forth in a franchise. The fran- 
chise is gremted to a corporation to use the streets for a definite 
utility. Conceivably, a franchise may contain nothing except 
the bare permission to use the streets. There are examples of 
such franchises. As a rule, however, the public attaches to 
this permission certain conditions as to rates, quantity and 
quality of service, and method and extent of public control; so 
that many of the rights and obligations of the utility to the 
public and of the public to the utility are definitely and expressly 
fixed in the franchise. A franchise, however, does not enforce 
itself. And no matter how detailed its provisions, some form 
of public control or supervision is necessary to enforce it. The 
courts have declared that franchises have much the legal force 
and effect of a contract, and the community is as bound to ad- 
here to the terms of the franchise as is the utility. For instance, 
if a franchise provides for a five-cent fare for twenty years, the 
community may not force a lower fare during this twenty years. 
A franchise, however, seldom contains such perfection of detail 
that its express language solves all questions of rates and service 
that may arise during its life; so there practically always remains 
a field for public control outside of the franchise; that is, upon 
those questions which are not expressly answered by the language 
of the franchise. 

There exist many dift'erent kinds of franchises. The\- might 
be classified as follows: 

1. Simple franchise willioui terms either as to rates 
or time limitation. 

2. Limited only as to time. 

3. Limited only as to terms. 

4. Limited both as to time and terms. 

5. Indeterminate, that is, without definite period, but 
with provisions for recognizing the right of fair re- 
turn on capital invested, the right of the munic- 
ipality or state to regulate all terms and conditions, 
and the right of the municipality to purchase at an 
agreed valuation or a valuation fixed liy an agreed 
method . 

197 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 



A short description of the various utiHties operating in 
Cincinnati will now be given, with reference to the provisions 
of their franchises regarding rates, service, and public control. 




PAST 



PART OF CINCINNATI'S 
WATER SUPPLY 

-1798- 

FAMILIES CHARGED 
25 CENTS PER WEEK 

FOR PRIVILEGE OF 

USING THE WELLS. 



'1.00 WORTH OF WATERilN THE WELL) 1798 



ABOUT ISOO SALLONS 

'l.OO WORTH OF WATER (FILTERCD AND OELIVERCOl tSIS 




PRESENT i 



10000 GALLONS 



Water Works. — People are a})t to think of water works as 
one kind of public utility universally and necessarily operated 
l)y the public. As a matter of fact, however, many water works, 
including those of many large cities, are still ])rivately owned 
and operated. 

The Cincinnati Water Works was originally so owned and 
operated under a franchise granted in 1817. The electors of 
the city voted three successive times adversely to the purchase 
of the plant before a favorable vote was finally obtained, in 
1837, since which time the water utility has been owned and 
operated by the city. It is entirely self-sustaining, securing all 
its revenue from its sale of water, and none from taxes. Ac- 
cording to the present statutes, the water works is under the 
management and supervision of the Director of Public Service, 
who decides upon the rates of charges, and also decides ques- 
tions of service; though, like every other public utility, the Cin- 
cinnati Water Works, even though municipally owned, will be 
prevented by the courts from discriminating in service or from 
failing to render good service. The State of Ohio does not at- 
tempt any administrative supervision of municipally owned 
utilities. 

Street Railroads. — The system of street railroads in Cin- 
cinnati is privately owned by the Cincinnati Street Railway 
Company. In 1901 the whole system was leased to the Cin- 

198 



CINCiNNATI'S riRST PUMPING ENGINE 

HIGH PRESSURE ENGINE "VESTA" 



"^ aO 




r.-tcnt e< SAML.W.Dii.rs. 1624 

RiMOori-tn o» A.Hai..m»eS3 1826 

ABANOCriED 1844 



JllKOTIRSIP^PPPTTOB 



CINCINNATI'S FIRST WATER WORKS PUMPING ENGINE 




LOW SERVICE PUMP, MAIN STATION, SUPPLIES 25,000,000 GALLONS PER DAY 

199 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

cinnati Traction Company, which has operated it e\er since. 
The Cincinnati Street Railway Company was a consolidation 
of numerous separate street railroad corporations which owned 
different parts of the system. One or more of these companies 
were in turn consolidations of previous companies. The fran- 
chises of all the original companies which now form the con- 
solidated Cincinnati Street Railway Company were given by 
the city at various times from 1859 to 1896. These franchises 
were all merged and consolidated into a single franchise, given 
in 1896, under the provisions of what is known as the Rogers 
Law. 



ONE OF CINCINNATI'S HORSE CARS, 1885 

The Rogers Law franchise is for a term of 50 \ears from 
1896. The rate of fare, percentage of gross receipts paid to the 
city, transfer system, and other terms and conditions, however, 
were fixed for 20 years only. At the end of these years, which 
falls in 1916, the city Council will have the power to change 
the rate of fare, transfer system, and other terms and conditions 
of the franchise, in accordance with the cost to the company of 
rendering service in 1916. The rates of fare, transfer system, 
and other terms and conditions fixed in 1916 will be for a 15- 
>ear period ending in 1931, when the Council will again have 
the right to make changes. The franchise provides that if the 
company is dissatisfied with the changes made by Council in 
1916 and 1931, it shall have a right to file a suit in court to test 
the reasonableness and justice of the action of Council. 

As regards service, the franchise provides that the company 
shall run cars "as frequently as the convenience of the public 
ma\- reciuire." The Director of Public Service has power to 

200 



PUBLIC UTILITIES 




THE CABLE CAR AT FOUNTAIN SQUARE 



enforce this requiremenl, and also has general sujXM-vision o\er 
the character and condition of the tracks, rolHng stock, and 
other physical equipment. As regards extensions into new ter- 
ritory, the franchise is silent. But the state law permits Council 
to order reasonable extensions subject to appeal to the state 
Public Utilities Commission. 

In the case of utilities such as gas, electricity, and water, 
the establishment and enforcement of standards of good service 
are comparatively simple. In the first place, the consumer is 
entitled to the flow of current of the product whenever he so 
desires. In the second place, 
the quality or quantity thereof 
can be subjected to certain 
definite tests and measured 
by accurate scientific appara- 
tus. The questions invoked 
in street railway service are 
more complicated, due to \a- 
riations in the demand for 
the service. At certain times 
of day, known as the reg- 
ular hours, the demand is light. The problem is- to strike a fair 
balance between the right, on the one hand, of the car rider 
to obtain service without unreasonably long waits, and the 
right, on the other hand, of the operator to be freed from the 
expense of operating an tmreasonable quantit\^ of empt\' seats. 
At certain other times of day, known as the rush hours, the 
demand is heavy and concentrated. The problem then pre- 
sented is that of running sufficient cars to prevent the discomfort 
of overcrowding. Attempts hav^e been made to establish stand- 
ards of adequate rush-hour service, ranging from seating capacity 
plus fifteen per cent of seating capacity. By means of careful 
traffic counts, that is, counts of the actual number of jxTsons 
using the different routes at the different periods of the day, it 
is generally possible to apply and enforce some standard that 
may be adopted b\- the supervising municipal authorities. In 
1912 an e\hausti\^ traffic survey was made of the demand for 
a supply of street railroad service in Cincinnati. The report 
of this survey is known as the Harris report. If continuousK' 
and intelligently used and kept up to date, it would furnish an 
efTective basis for testing the adequac\- of the street car service. 

201 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Gas. — The artificial gas franchise, known as the "("onover 
Contract," dates from 1841, and is now owned, with plant, by 
the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company. The company has 
leased the franchise and the plant to the Union Gas & Electric 
Company, which now operates it. The term of the franchise 
is peculiar, reading "twenty-five years from the date thereof 
and thereafter until the same shall be purchased by the city 
Council of Cincinnati as hereinafter provided." The privilege 
of purchase referred to provides that the city may purchase 
the plant at any time after 25 years (that is, after 1866) at a 
price and compensation "ascertained by fiv^e disinterested 
persons, two of whom shall be selected by the Council and two 
by said Conover, his associates, their heirs, assigns, or suc- 
cessors, and the fifth by the four others selected or chosen." 
The franchise for natural gas was granted in 1905 to the Cin- 
cinnati Gas & Electric Company for a period of twenty- five 
years, with a similar privilege of purchase by the city. 

The rates for gas are not fixed in the franchise ordinance 
itself, but under the authority of a state statute they may be 
fixed from time to time by the city Council. The city Council 
may change these rates as often as it likes; but may agree to a 
fixed term not exceeding ten years. The custom has been to 
fix the rates for ten years at a time. They were last fixed early 
in 1906; so that they are again subject to change by Council in 
1916. When the company is dissatisfied with rates fixed b\' 
Council, it can appeal to the Ohio State Public Utilities Com- 
mission, and either the city or the company may appeal from 
the decision of the Commission to the Supreme Court of Ohio. 

The natural gas franchise provides a certain standard of 
service, expressed in British Thermal Units, and indicating the 
value of the gas. The language of the franchise is such as to 
fairly warrant the conclusion that the company is obligated to 
supply the whole city, though doubtless the courts would refuse 
to enforce a demand for an unreasonable extension of service. 
State law authorizes the city Council to order reasonable ex- 
tensions, subject to appeal by the company to thi' Ohio Public 
Utilities Commission. 

Control over the enforcement of the franchise and obliga- 
tions of the company is, as in the case of all other public utilities, 
within the jurisdiction of the Director of Public Service. Such 
obligations may also be enforced in judicial proceedings brought 

202 



PUBLIC UTILITIES 

by the ( it>' Solicitor; or, when he refuses to act, !)>• any tax- 
payer of the city. The Ohio Pnbhc Utihties Commission also 
has authority to prevent discrimination in rates between the 
dififerent consimiers, and to enforce adequate service. 

Electricity. — Between 1882 and 1901 several companies 
supplying electricity operated under franchises and permits 
from the city. In 1901 all these companies were absorbed by 
the Cincinnati Gas, Light, and Coke Company, which later 
became the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, the com- 
pany which now owns both the gas and electric plants and the 
franchises. The only one of the said electric franchises which 
has not expired by limitation was that granted in 189vS for 
twenty-five years "and thereafter" until the city elects to pur- 
chase both the gas and electric plants. The city's privilege of 
purchasing the electric plant is similar to the above described 
privilege concerning the gas plant. The electric plant and 
franchises were in 1901 leased to the Union Gas and Electric 
Company, which now operates them. 

As in the case of gas, rates for electric service are not fixed 
in the franchise. They are fixed by ordinance of Council, which 
may change them from time to time or ma>' fix them for definite 
periods not exceeding 10 years each. Such action of (\)uncil 
may be appealed from by the compan\' to the State Public^ 
I'tilities Commission. The last 10-\ear period expired in 1915, 
at which time Council passed an ordinance revising the electric 
rates. The new rates were not satisfactory to the I'nion Gas 
and Electric Company. The company made an appeal to the 
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio; under the law lhe>- were 
also made subject to a referendum vote of the people at the 
election in No\ember, 1915. The vote was in faxor of the 
ordinance. 

The electric lighting of the streets is performed under a 
contract between the city and the Union Gas & Electric Com- 
pany. Such contracts ma>- not exceed ten years in duration. 
The practice in Cincinnati has been to contract for the lull leu 
\ears at a time. The ])resent contract will expire in 1922. 

Public control of electric service is administered by the same 
authorities as above described in the case of gas. The power 
to order extensions of service rests in the same authorities, and 
is subject to the same restrictions as already described relatixe 
to gas service. 

203 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Telephones. — The legal situation ol the telephoirj utilil\- is 
somewhat complicated. For overhead telephone construction, 
that is, poles and wires strung above groimd, the consent of the 
city is not required. The franchise comes exclusively from the 
state. For underground construction, that is, wires in conduits. 




TELEPHONE WIRES BEING LAID NEXT TO LOT LINES TO AVOID 
TEARING UP STREET. PLEASANT RIDGE, 1915 

the consent of the city is reciuired. There is no dehnite term 
or limit to the telephone company's franchise. There are no 
ordinances or measures of the city which prescribe any terms or 
conditions as to rates or service. All such (juestions are ad- 
ministered In' the state authorities. 

Telegraph. -The rights of the telegraj)h companies to the 
use of the cit\'s streets come from the state, and not from the 
city. The city of Cincinnati has some slight control (ner the 
location of telegraph posts and wires. But, in general, the con- 
trol and supervision of location, scr\'ice, and rates is in state 
and national authoritic^s. 

204 



PUBLIC UTILITIES 

Terminal Utilities. — Among public utilities none is mow 
important than that of terminals for steam and interurban 
railroads entering the city. The control of terminals, constitut- 
ing control of the facilities for entering and leaving the citv, 
obviously carries the control over the destiny and prosperit\ 
of the city. The only terminal utility now operating in Cin- 
cinnati is the Central Union Depot and Terminal Compan\-. 
This owns and operates the Central Union Depot and tracks 
leading to it. It furnishes terminal service to steam railroads 
exclusively. The municipality itself has very slight control 
over the location, charges, or service of steam railroads or steam 
railroad terminals, these being mainly under the control of 
state and national authorities. 

Certain of the interurban railways serving Cincinnati do 
not enter the city, but terminate at its boundaries. Others 
enter for a short distance over private right of way. The re- 
mainder come over the tracks of the Cincinnati Street Railwax' 
Company, by virtue of contracts between the interurban com- 
panies and the Cincinnati Traction Company. A movement is 
on foot for the construction by the city of an independent in- 
terurban railway terminal in conjunction with a rapid transit 
electric system. 

The necessit>- of an independent terminal facility arises from 
the fact that, owing to the city's topography, the available 
entrances into and through the city are few in number, alread\' 
occupied by street railway tracks, the use of which by inter- 
urban cars reduces the speed of these interurban cars to that of 
the ordinary cars of the local street railroad system. The length 
of time involved in this entrance to the city causes considerable- 
increase in the operating expense and in terminal charges which 
seriously reduces the profitableness of interurban operation into 
the city. 

The question of interurban terminals is one of the cil\'s 
greatest problems. 

Rapid Transit. — A rapid transit transportation highway is 
one which, by avoiding the use of the ordinary streets, either 
longitudinally or crossings, and also by avoidance of hea\\' 
grades, avoids the reduction of speed incident to the use of the 
streets and of heavy grades, and permits the use of trains ol 
cars of larger types of cars. 

205 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

The need of rapid transit in large and growing connnunities 
snch as Cincinnati arises from several motives: 

(a) To relieve congestion in downtown centers. Congestion 
is due to the attempt to conduct more traffic on the downtown 
streets than these can carry. Congestion of cars causes delay 
and limits the supply of transportation furnished. 

(b) By reducing the time involved in rides to suburban 
districts and 1)\- connecting these suburbs with each other to 
increase the use of suburban districts for residential purposes, 
and thus reduce tenement house conditions. 

(c) By reducing the time required for long rides, thereb>' 
to lower the operating expense of carrying passengers long dis- 
tances, thus enabling the city to grow in extent and increase the 
suburban area without increasing fares. 

(d) To furnish facilities for distributing foods and other 
necessities, thus avoiding expense of long cartage hauls and 
thereby reducing the cost of living in the city. 

In Cincinnati there is the additional special motive for the 
need of rapid transit lines, already mentioned, namely, of fur- 
nishing an independent entrance for interurban car lines. 

The movement in Cincinnati for a rapid transit system, 
now coming to fruition, is actuated b\' all thest- motives. 
The location of the interurban terminal will necessarily be 
governed by these motives, as well as by the necessity of keeping 
the cost within a practicable limit. 



206 



Governmental Activities 



CHAPTER XX 

The Municipal Government 

Government in the United States is composed of tiirec 
units: the nation, the state, and the city. Of these three it is 
ever the city government which affects the people most inti- 
mately. Very important it is, therefore, that all should under- 
stand what the municipal government is, what it can do, and 
how it is organized to carry on its many activities. In order 
to understand these things, it is first necessary to know some- 
thing about the relation of the city to the state. For according, 
to a well-accepted principle of American government, the cit\- 
cannot be considered as an independent unit, but only as a part 
of the particular state in which it is situated. 

Relations Between City and State. — The city has no power 
to carry on any city function without authority from the state. 
The state decides what kind of government the city may have, 
what officers of the city shall be elected, and which of the officers 
shall be appointed. It also defines in general what all these 
officials may do. Hence when the city desires to engage in an\' 
special activity, from street cleaning to city terminals, it musi 
be sure that it has been granted power from the state to do 
that particular thing. If such power has not already been 
granted, the city has to go to the state Legislature and request 
that body to pass a law which will vest sufficient authority in 
the local officials to carry out the needed work. 

The kind of government in the city is determined by the- 
state Constitution or the state Legislature. In 1802, when 
Cincinnati was only a pioneer settlement, the Legislature granted 
it a village government. The community grew so rapidly that 
it was not long until this simple form of government could no 
longer meet its needs. As a result, in 1819 Cincinnati was dul\ 
incorporated as a city. At first the most important officials of the 
city were the councilmen. Later much of the power of the cit\- 
Council was taken away and vested in various boards and com- 
missions. These were sometimes elected by the voters, but more- 

209 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

frequently the>- were appointed by the state officials. This was 
known as the board system of government, and was prevalent 
until the beginning of the twentieth century. The board sys- 
tem had many advantages over the old council system, but it 
proved to be weak in one respect. Under that it was difficult 
to fix responsibility' upon any public official. There thus re- 
sulted a lack of harmony which made it difficult, if not impossible, 
to obtain really good city government. Accordingly many of 
the boards and commissions of Cincinnati were abolished or 
were made subordinate to the Mayor. In this way the prin- 
cipal defect of the former system was removed. 

Cincinnati's Form of Government. — ^At the present time the 
government of Cincinnati is based upon laws passed by the 
state Legislature in 1902, and from time to time since. These 
laws are known as the "Ohio municipal code." The code pro- 
vides in general for a city Council, some of the members of which 
are elected from the city as a whole, the others by wards. The 
code also provides for the election of a Mayor, who is more or 
less independent of the city Council. Thus the local laws or 
ordinances of the city are made by Council, while it is the dut\- 
of the Mayor or of the staff of officials appointed by him to 
enforce them. 

Federal Form. — This form of government is common I \ 
known as the "federal form," inasmuch as it is patterned after 
the national government at Washington. Most cities in this 
country are organized imder the federal form of government. 

Although the federal type of government for cities is widely 
used, there are nian\- who believe it is not the best form of gov- 
ernment for a city. It has indeed some weaknesses that should 
be noted. For instance, it sometimes happens in some cities 
that the Mayor and Council do not work together in liarmonx . 
The work of the city is then not carried on efficiently, by reason 
of friction between these two organs of government. It is fur- 
ther claimed that when coimcilmen are elected from wards the> 
sometimes neglect the interests of the city as a whole, in order 
to look after that of their own wards. This leads to bargaining 
between councilmen, and the injection of too much petty ward 
jjolitics into the larger municipal affairs. 

Under the federal .system the heads of departments are sup- 
posed to be held responsible for the efficiency of their own de- 
partments. Yet it is Council that determines the number of 

210 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

each kind of employees and the wages of each. Council can 
and does aboHsh positions, or create new ones carrying wages 
determined by it alone. Council can change the wages or sal- 
aries of employees at will, and makes all appropriations. Be- 
cause of these things, responsibility is divided. A high degree- 
of efificiency is difficult to secure. 

Commission Form. — Within recent years, in an effort to 
remedy these defects, several hundred cities have abandoned 
the federal form of government and have adopted what is 
known as the "commission form." This provides for a ver\ 
small council, usually consisting of five persons, elected from 
the city as a whole, and not from wards, as in the federal form. 
This board of commissioners is vested with complete power lo 
pass city ordinances. It also appoints all city officials, who 
enforce the laws under its direction, and it thus exercises com- 
plete control over the whole city government. The commission 
plan is much simpler than the federal. 

Commission-Manager Form. — A third tyj^e of city govern- 
ment is known as the "commission-manager form." This 
differs in some important respects from the commission form. 
In it a small board or commission, usually of five persons, is 
elected by the voters of the whole city. This commission acts 
as a city council in passing ordinances, but what is special to it 
is that the enforcement of the law is left to a manager. This 
manager is appointed by the commission. He controls cill the 
city officials engaged in administration much as does the man- 
ager of a large factory or business concern. The commission- 
manager form of government is thought by many desirable, as 
it removes a number of the weaknesses of the federal form, and 
yet insures harmony between the men who make the laws and 
those who enforce them. 

Municipal Home Rule. The kind of government which an\ 
city should have depends largely upon local conditions peculiar 
to that city, and upon the character, habits, and ideals of its 
lX)pulation. Sometimes the members of the state Legislatun- 
who come from other sections of the state do not imderstand 
or appreciate these local conditions very thoroughly, and hence 
are not well qualified to determine what the government of 
that city should be. It is naturally felt that the people living 
in a city best understand its needs, and often that they should 
have a larger share than they have had in the past in shaping 

211 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

their goxcrnment lo meet these needs. As a result, the people 
of several states have amended their constitutions in such a 
way as to permit the cities to adopt any form of government 
they may desire, provided that it does not conflict with the laws 
of the state. These provisions are known as "home rule" pro- 
visions, because they give the cities powxn- to rule themseK'es. 
Many cities have taken advantage of the opportunity, and in 
the "home rule charters" which they have adopted have changed 
iheir governments to suit themselves and their conditions. 

Municipal Charters. — Ohio is one of the states in which 
home rule exists. Hence it is now possible for Cincinn^iti to 
frame and adopt a charter of its own, without interference of 
the state Legiskiture. The method by which it may do so is 
as follows: Ten per cent of the voters desiring a change in the 
form of government must signify their desire by signing a peti- 
tion asking that an election be called, at which the people are to 
vote on the question of framing a charter. Such an election 
may also be called by two-thirds of Council. Should the voters 
favor a change, a commission of fifteen men is elected to draft 
a new charter. The commission has one year in which to com- 
plete its work and submit it to the voters for approval. If a 
majority of the voters favor the charter, it becomes the funda- 
mental law of the city. 

A ntimber of cities in Ohio have changed their governments 
in this way. Some, such as Dayton and Springfield, have de- 
cided to adopt the commission-manager form of government. 
Others have simply modified the old federal form under which 
they had been working. In 1913 the people of Cincinnati de- 
cided to take advantage of the home rule provision, and they 
elected a charter commission. The commission recommended 
a modified form of the federal plan, including many features of 
government new to this city, such as: a Council elected at large 
(thus doing away with the ward system); non-partisan elections 
with enforced publicity as to candidates; a public utilities com- 
mission; a rapid transit commission; and a city planning com- 
mission. The proposed charter contained certain provisions 
which since, with more or less modification, have l)een made 
available to Cincinnati by special act of the Legislature. Among 
these are: pro\'ision for a city planning commission and for a 
rapid transit commission. This legislation was secured through 
the actixity of the ci\ic and business organizations. 

212 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

The charter for Cincinnati when submitted to the voters 
Avas, however, rejected. Hence Cincinnati is still governed 
according to tlie Ohio municipal code. 

The Organs of Government. — The principal organs of the 
government of Cincinnati are the Council, the Mayor, the ex- 
ecutive departments, and the courts. 

Council. — The legislative department of the city govern- 
ment consists of a body of men elected by the voters and known 
as the city Council. There arc thirty-two members of the Coun- 
cil of Cincinnati. The city is divided into twenty-si.\ local di- 
visions or wards. One councilman is elected from each of these 




THE OLD CITY HALL 



warfls. The remaining six members are not chosen from an\- 
particular ward, but are elected to represent the city as a whole. 
All these men are elected at the same time and serve for two years. 
The presiding officer of the city Council is called the President of 
Council. He is also elected by the \oters. He not only presides 
over the meetings of Council, but acts as Mayor when that official 
is absent from the city or is unable to serve for any other reason. 
The powers of Council are specified in the municipal code, 
and relate to many subjects. It may le\>- and collect taxes 
and special assessments for improvements, borrow money, and 
make appropriations for all the departments of the city govern- 
ment. It may grant franchises to corporations, regulate the 
use of the streets and the construction of buildings, license 
\arious sorts of businesses and occupations, provide for public 

213 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

improvements of all kinds, and, in general, perform the legis- 
lative functions of the city government. 

Acts passed 1)\' Council are called ordinances or reso- 
lutions. 

The Council meets as a body e\ery week to transact its 
business. These metings are open to the public and any person 
interested is welcome to attend. Frecjuently when important 
business is up for consideration, a large number of citizens are 
present. Each week there is a large amount of work for the 
Council to do, some of it legislative and some administrative. 
Communications and petitions from taxpayers are heard and 
acted upon; ordinances, resolutions, and motions are introduced 
by members or by other city ofificials, and are either referred to 
committees for investigation or acted upon immediately by 
Council. After ordinances are passed by Council, they are sent 
to the Mayor for his approval. If he disapproves of any ordi- 
nance sent him, he may signify his disproval by vetoing it. The 
ordinance must then be returned to Council, and if it is again 
])assed by a two-thirds majority, it becomes a law without con- 
sent of the Mayor. 

Committees. — Before Council acts upon any particular 
matter, it frequently finds it necessary to make an investigation 
of the subject. For this purpose there are a number of commit- 
tees, each w4th five members. One member may, and usually 
does, serve on several committees. Some of tlie more important 
committees are as follows: Ways and Means; Streets and 
Parks; Finance; Light; Sewers; Law, ("ontracts and Claims; 
and Assessments for Improvements. 

When a proposed ordinance is referred to a conmiittee the 
committee is supposed to study the problem carefully and 
tinally report back to Council, recommending that the proposed 
ordinance be passed or amended or defeated. If the subject is 
of exceptional importance, the committee usually holds a i)ublic 
hearing, when all persons interested may appear and express 
their views on the proposal. 

Initiative and Referendum. -Should Council fail to pass an 
ordinance which is desired, the people themselves may frame such 
an ordinance and send it to Council with a petition signed by 
ten per cent of the voters of the city, asking that the bill be 
enacted into law. If Council then refuses to pass it, an election 
must be called at which the h\\\ is submitted directly to the 

214 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

people for their approval or disapproval. It is this process 
which is known as the "initiative." 

Through the "referendum" the voters may veto an ordi- 
nance passed by Council. As a rule, ordinances do not go into 
effect until thirty days after their passage. In the meantime 
a petition may be circulated and signed by ten per cent of the 
voters asking that the proposed ordinance be submitted to the 
voters. An election is then called, and if a maioritv of the voters 




THE PRESENT CITY HALL 



favor the ordinance, it becomes a law; but if a majority of tliose 
voting on the measure vote against it, it is defeated. 

The Mayor.^ — The Mayor is the chief executive of the cit>-. 
He is elected by the voters for a term of two years. His salar\ 
is fixed by ordinance, and is at present $10,000 per annum. It 
is the duty of the Mayor to see that the ordinances of the cit\ 
are properly enforced. He has large powers of superv^ision and 
direction over the administrative departments of the city go\ - 
ernment. He appoints the Director of Public Ser\ice, the 
Director of Public Safety, and the heads of other important 
departments, and may remove some of them from otfice. The 

215 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Mayor is also the chief guardian of the peace of the city. By 
reason of this he has power to suppress riots and, when neces- 
sary, to call upon the Governor for the aid of the state militia. 
The veto power of the Mayor ha.s already been mentioned. 

In general, the Mayor is regarded as the titular head of the 
city. He represents the city on various occasions, and, because 
of the prominence of his position, the people look to him more 
than to any other city oflficial to take the lead in promoting 
good city government. 

The Department of Public Service. — The Department of 
Public Service is one of the largest and most important units 
of the city government. It is under the control of the Director 
of Public Service, who is appointed directly by the Mayor, and 
at present receives a salary of S8,000 per year. In order to 
carry on the work of the department there are several sub- 
departments, each of which is managed by a superintendent. 

It is this department that performs practically all the en- 
gineering work of the city. It builds bridges, viaducts, and 
other structures on the public highways of the cit\ . It keeps 
in repair the 960 miles of streets; lays out new streets and paves 
them. It plans and constructs sewer systems; cleans, sprinkles, 
and oils the streets. It makes contracts for lighting the streets 
with gas or electricity, all as authorized by Council. This de- 
partment has charge of the city hall, public bath houses and 
comfort stations, the municipal markets and wharves, and other 
public lands and buildings. It also has charge of the purchasing 
of goods for the city and the testing of measures and scales to 
see that they are accurate. Finally, the very important function 
of supplying pure water to the residents of the city constitutes 
a part of the work of the Department of Public Service. Cin- 
cinnati owns and operates its own J>20, 000,000 water works, 
supplying an average of over 50,000,000 gallons of pure water 
per day, one of the finest systems in the United States. 

The Department of Public Safety. — A city must protect the 
lives and propert\- of its citizens against vice and crime, and 
care for the weak and dependent elements of the population. 
In Cincinnati these services are performed by the Department 
of Public Safety. Like the Department of Public Service, it is 
placed in charge of a Director, appointed by the Mayor and 
immediately responsible to him. His present salary is S8,000 
I)er year. 

216 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

The functions of this department are performed by five sub- 
departments, as follows: Police, Fire, Building and Tenement 
Inspection, Smoke Inspection, and Public Welfare. 

The chief duty of the police is, of course, to prevent crime, 
and to arrest offenders who violate the laws. They perform 
also many incidental functions, such as regulating the trafific 
on the streets, controlling crowds in case of fires, rendering 
assistance in case of accidents, and aiding strangers who are 
not familiar with the city. The entire force is organized in a 
military fashion with a Chief of Police at its head, who is under 
civil service, and so cannot be removed for political reasons. 
In 1915 there were more than 700 ollficers and patrolmen in the 
police force in Cincinnati. (See also chapter VII for more 
detailed account of the department.) 

Fighting fires is one of the most spectacular functions which 
the city has to perform. In spite of the excellent equipment 
and organization of the fire departments of our cities, hundreds 
of millions of dollars of property are destroyed each year in 
America by fires. In 1913, in Cincinnati alone, property valued 
at more than $1,000,000 was destroyed by fires. The total 
number of Fire Department employees is over 600. The fire- 
fighting force of about 550 men is organized much as the police 
force, with a Fire Chief in control. It is not only the duty of 
the Fire Department to extinguish fires after the\- are once 
started, but also to prevent fires by inspecting theaters and 
other buildings for fire hazards. (For more detailed account of 
the Fire Department, set; chapter VIII.) 

One of the most freciuent sources of destructive fires is to 
])e found in the faulty construction of buildings. In order to 
reduce this danger to a minimum, the city requires all buildings 
to be approxed by the Commissioner of Buildings. Freciuent 
inspections of tenements and other buildings are made to see 
that the city ordinances relating lo the proper inclosing of 
stairs, elevator shafts, fire windows, and proper plumbing are 
enforced. (For more detailed account of the duties of the Com- 
missioner of Buildings, see chapter IX.) 

All Cincinnatians are familiar with the smoke nuisance. 
The city has been waging war on the smoke evil for a number of 
years. Recently great improvement has been made over for- 
mer conditions. To combat this smoke evil the city maintains 
a Dt'partmenl of Smoke Inspection, consisting of a Chief Smoke 

217 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

Inspector aiul sexcral depuly inspt'ciors. (Sec also clia[)lcr 
VI on The Public Health.) 

The last important function of the Department of Public 
Safety is that of caring for the city's poor and defectives and 
maintaining correctional institutions for the punishment of 
offenders. These are among the oldest as well as most important 
functions performed by city governments. The city maintains 
Opportunity Farms for boys and girls, where delinquent chil- 
dren are taught to become useful citizens; a City Workhouse, 
where older offenders against the ordinances of the city are 
punished; a City Infirmary for the can^ of the aged poor, who 
have no means of support; and a Municipal Lodging House, 
where homeless men are furnished lodging and meals for a few 
days while they endeavor to obtain work. In addition to thest' 
institutions, th'.' city has constructed and maintains magnificent 
hospitals, where the poor of the city may obtain the very best 
medical treatment. (See also chapter X on "Dependency and 
Delin(]uency.") 

The Board of Park Commissioners. — This boartl consists of 
three persons appointed by the Mayor, each of whom ser\es 
for a three-year term. One member is appointed each year, so 
that the board always contains some men who ha\e had experi- 
ence, and are familiar with the plans for park improvements. 
It is the duty of the Park Commissioners to keep the city parks 
and playgrounds in proper condition, and to plan for their 
future development. Like most other cities of our countr\-, 
Cincinnati for a long time was slow in providing for the recrea- 
tion and pleasure of its citizens. Formerly beautiful parks and 
boulevards were considered as luxuries, in which few cities could 
afford to indulge. Public playgrounds and athletic fields were 
almost inithought of. But each year makes it clearer that these 
things are \itally necessary to the health and happiness of the 
people. A few years ago, when the management of the city's 
parks was placed in the hands of a Board of Park Commis- 
sioners, they employed a skilled landscape architect to plan a 
complete system of parks, playgrounds, and boulevards for thi' 
city. This plan, known as the Kessler plan, has been adopted 
by the board, and is gradually being carried out. When it is 
completed, Cincinnati will possess one of the most attractive 
park systems in the United States, and will have gone far to- 

218 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

ward realizing the ideal of the city beautiful. (See als(j chapter 
XV on Recreation.) 

The Board of Health. — The duty of protecting the health of 
the inhabitants of the city rests with the Board of Health. It 
consists of five members, appointed one each year by the Mayor 
tor terms of five years each. The Mayor also acts as a member 
of the board. The Board of Health has power to pass rules and 
regulations of various sorts to prevent the spread of contagious 
diseases, and to take other necessary steps to guard against 
disease and conserve the health of the community. 

The orders of the Board of Health are enforced by the Health 
Officer, w^ho is usually a physician of wide experience. Under 
his direction, visiting physicians visit the homes of the poor and 
give medical aid to those who are ill and cannot employ a physi- 
cian. Other officers inspect milk, meat, and other food sold 
within the city to see that it is pure and wholesome. Bake- 
shops, restaurants, laundries, barbershops, factories, and other 
places are likwise inspected. These are onh' some of many things 
that are done by the Board of Health to make the city a whole- 
some and healthful place in which to live. (See also chapter 
VI, where the activities of the Board of Health are discussed 
in detail.) 

The Trustees of the Sinking Fund. — When the city borrows 
money the law requires that it shall make adequate provision 
for the payment of the debt when it becomes due. If the city 
desired to construct a park system, and borrowed for this pur- 
pose SI, 000, 000 payable in thirty years, it would be extremely 
burdensome and unjust to require the taxpayers to pay the 
entire sum at the end of thirty years from money raised that 
year. It is far more ecjuitable to ask the taxpayers to lay aside 
a certain sum each year, so that when the debt is due there 
will be sufficient funds to extinguish it. In this way the burden 
may be evenly distributed throughout the period, and while 
the residents are enjoying the benefits of the improvement they 
are also helping to pay for it. Moneys collected from taxes and 
other sources that are to be used for the payment of bonds are 
kept in a separate fund and are in charge of a board known as 
the Trustees of the Sinking Fund. In Cincinnati this board 
consists of four persons appointed by the Mayor, one each year, 
and each member serves a four-year term. It is the duty of 

219 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

the trustees to receive all money set aside for the pa\ment of 
the city's debts, and invest it in such a way as to yield the city 
a safe return. Cincinnati's sinking fund has been handled with 
conspicuous efficiency. (See also chapter XXII on Municipal 
Finance.) 

The Civil Service Commission. — It is often said that cities 
cannot do their work as efficiently as private businesses on ac- 
count of the interference of "politics." It is not difficult to 
see why this may be so, when, after working hard and faithfully, 
one who is employed by the city instead of being promoted as 
he deserves to be, is discharged soon following the next election, 
simply in order to give his place to somebody who helped to 
get votes, and not because he is better able to fill the position. 

It is the idea of the "merit system," or "civil service sys- 
tem," as it is often called, that all in the employ of the cit\- 
should be selected because of their fitness to do the particular 
work required, and not as a reward for their political influence 
and partisan activity. 

If this can be done, then the city will have its work done most 
efficiently. When it is remembered that the payroll of Cin- 
cinnati employees (not counting those of the public schools) 
amounts each year to about SvS, 500,000, or 60 per cent of the 
total expenditures of the city, the importance of the emplo>- 
ment of efficient workers for the city can be seen. 

From time to time examinations are held by the Civil Service 
Commission for the various positions in the city departments. 
The names of those w^ho pass the examinations are placed upon 
lists in the order of their rank as shown by their grades. When 
an appointment is to be made, it must be from the three highest 
names on the list for that grade. In this way, if the examina- 
tions are of the right kind and the markings are impartial, as 
they should be, appointments go to those who are (lualified 
to do the work required. 

In the same way promotions are made after examinations, 
in which length and efficiency of previous service usually count 
for a great deal. 

It is sometimes said that the law protects from removal 
those who are "under civil service." In Ohio this means that 
before anyone who has been appointed as the result of exam- 
ination can be removed legally, he has the right to receive a 
statement of the reasons for his removal and to submit a repK' 

220 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

showing why he should not be removed. A removal for po- 
litical or religious reasons is illegal. Policemen and firemen 
have certain special rights in addition to the above. 

Of course there are a great many details about the civil 
service law of Ohio which cannot be explained here. But the 
general idea as set forth in the constitution of the state is that 
"appointments and promotions . . . shall be made accord- 
ing to merit and fitness." It is only so far as this principle is 
actually carried out that our cities can be really well governed 
and the municipal work carried on efficiently. 

The successful operation of civil service depends funda- 
mentally upon whether its examinations really determine the 
relative fitness of candidates to do the work of the positions for 
which they are examined. To formulate examinations that will 
do this and to see that they are conducted impartially and 
graded correctly is a difficult problem. The final success of 
civil service will depend upon its solution of this problem. 

The Municipal Court. — The judicial function of the cit\ is 
performed by the local courts. Formerly in Cincinnati, as in 
other cities, the only local courts were the police courts and the 
courts of the Justices of the Peace, where petty criminal offenses 
and civil suits were tried. While the city was small this system 
was sufficient, but as it grew in size the police courts proved to 
be very inadequate in handling the enormous amount of work 
which fell to them. Hence in 1912 Cincinnati followed the lead 
of most other large cities of the country and established a special 
Municipal Court, which consists of five judges, elected by th^- 
voters for four years. The court tries both civil and criminal 
cases of a minor nature, with the assistance of a jury, when 
such is demanded by either party to a suit. 

As these are the courts that affect large numbers of persons, 
particularly immigrants and others least able to protect them- 
selves, it is of the greatest importance that the judges of these 
courts should be well versed in the law% of recognized standini; 
in the community, free from personal and political bias, and 
possessed of common sense and practical wisdom. 

Municipal Reference Bureau. — The Municipal Reference 
Bureau was organized in 1913, under the l)e]iartnient of Po- 
litical Science of the University of Cincinnati. Its cjuarters in 
the city hall are adjacent to the Council chamber and the rooms 
of the Board of Education. The librar\- of this bureau contains 

221 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

material relating to all phases of city government and mu- 
nicipal activities. This bureau is primarily for the use of Coun- 
cil and the administrative officers of the city; but it is available 
to the general public and students as well. Through this agency 
students in political and social sciance are enabled to familiarize 
themselves more intimately with the actual operation of both 
the city government and the organizations and institutions 
working for political and social betterment. 

Duty of the Public. — The government of a city is a ver\' 
complicated mechanism, doing many things, employing many 
people, and spending much money. Cincinnati has (including 
public schools and University) 5,000 employees, the annual 
l^ayroU for whom amounts to about 85,300,000. Here are 
represented over 100 dififerent occupations, many of them 
involving work of considerable skill, and some even highly 
technical in character. 

A private business employing this many people at such an 
outlay certainly would be found in the hands of trained men 
directing its afifairs. The workers would be selected because 
of their fitness to perform their several jobs. 

The city's business is even more important than a private 
enterprise, inasmuch as it affects the welfare of the whole com- 
munity. The city's business is to safeguard the health, property, 
and lives, and in many ways to serve 400,000 people who live 
within its borders, and these people, the taxpayers, foot the bill. 

Certainly the city's business is worth doing well. And yet 
according to the procedure of municipal government, employees 
loo often are selected without considering their experience, or 
their technical ability as measures of fitness to do the work for 
which they are employed. 

The citizen should learn to take an interest in his city. One 
cannot be interested in anything until he knows something 
about it. Lack of interest in the city's government has been 
largely due simply to lack of knowledge about it. 

As citizens realize the complexity and importance of the 
city's work and the city's problems, they will apply business 
principles in the selection of the public officials, and will insist 
most strenuously that the city's employees also be selected 
because of their fitness to do their work. 

"Many of us forget that the obligation is not all upon the 
part of the city. We expect the city to do this thing or that 

222 



THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 

thing tor us, and it it is not done wo enter onr protest as \it!,- 
orously as we can. But do we often stop to think whether we 
ourselves are fuifHUng our obligations to the city? Are we care- 
fully obeying its laws? Do we make it easy for the |)ublic 
otftcial to enforce them? Do we help him, the public offtcial, 
whenever we can? Do we bother to tell him and others that we 
approve when he does what we think is meritorious? Or do 
we take his good acts as a matter of course, and only speak 
when he does what we believe to be wrong or against our own 
i:)ersf)nal interests? 

"If we w"Ould begin to voice our approval of th.ings we like 
as strongly as we condemn things we do not like, ho\\ much 
easier it would be for the public otiticial. It would encourage 
him to stand for the things he knows are good, but which, if 
carried out, would meet strenuous opposition in some quarters, 
while the great majority who approved neglected to express their 
views." 

The citizen has the right tf) insist upon proper service by the 
city. He should also take equal care that he fulfills his own 
obligations to the citw 





.• \j^ , "*V> V 




•••••••••• 

THE CITY SEAL 



223 



CHAPTER XXI 
Municipal Finance 

In the whole range of liuman activities there are few sub- 
jects more important than that which deals with finance. To 
the citizen, the manner in which the city collects and expends 
its revenues should surely be of the greatest interest. He pays 
the taxes. He should know how the taxes are spent and what 
he gets for his money. 

The mention of the word "finance" generally calls lo mind 
an uninteresting array of account books and long, dreary columns 
of figures. Viewed, however, in the proper light, these figures 
are far from dull. To a certain extent, indeed, the financial 
tables are a kind of barometer registering the city's human and 
corporate welfare. The change of even a few figures in the 
city's budget may mean that the property of all the citizens is 
henceforth to be better protected. It may mean that the lives 
of thousands of Cincinnati babies may be saved through some 
extension of the Health Department's activities, or it may mean 
that the cit\'s public utilities are going to furnish further .service 
to the community; or it may also mean that the children are 
to be given a new playground or a more extended education. 

Such changes in the figures sometimes express the interest 
or the apathy of the citizens and the degree of wisdom and 
ability and forethoughtfulness of the officials. In the financial 
statement is recorded the growth of the city in well-being and 
business efticiency. Finance is the backbone of the city govern- 
ment. For without money the many activities of the city could 
not be carried on. 

In very primitive limes there was no sucii tiling as a public 
purse. Even until the Middle Ages individuals did not make 
any regular money jiayments to the State. Instead, their con- 
tributions took the form of some sort of service, and this was 
generally le\ied in the form of labor, such as working in the 
fields or on the roads, or doing some form of military dut\'. 

224 



MUNICIPAL FINANCE 

To-day, with our complex form of civilization, such a system 
would be out of the question. Instead, private individuals pay 
money into the treasury of the public to have these services 
performed by regular officials for mutual good. That is, we 
pay our taxes to the city and to the state, and the money is in 
turn expended on projects for the common betterment. Since 
we pay the money, we not only have the right to see how it is 
«pent, but should insist that it is wisely and economically spent 
by the men whom we have delegated to take charge of our 
political affairs. We should get our money's worth. Within 
the last few years particularly, recognition has been increasingly 
given to the fact that city government is largely a business 
proposition, and that it must be run on strict business prin- 
ciples. 

Like any individual, the city must consider what is best for 
it, how much it wishes to spend, and how much it has to spend. 
Unlike the individual, however, who gauges his expenditures by 
his income, the city must gauge its income by its expenditures. 
What it is forced to spend it must find money to pay for. 

The Budget. — ^To most business men it would seem the 
most natural thing for a city to make a program, to estimate 
what it would need to continue its activities for the coming 
year. Having done this, getting the estimate as accurate as 
possible, by comparison with the expenditures for several pre- 
ceding years and considering needed increases, it would then 
levy taxes as nearly as possible to the amount needed, so that 
a proper balance would result at the end of the financial year. 
The great trouble in city management generally in the past 
has been the lack of such adequate programs or budgets. Every 
city ought to have a financial program, and should know ap- 
proximately beforehand what it is going to spend, how it is 
going to spend it, and also where it is going to get the money. 

Generally, however, cities have gone about their finance in 
just the reverse way. They first have set a tax rate, and then 
have proceeded to appropriate money for payments without 
regard to the total of the revenue to be received at the rate set. 
As a result, cities generally have found themselves yearly getting 
more deeply into debt, and their political officers afraid to raise 
the rate of taxation. 

Let us now examine the procedure in Cincinnati and the 
Tnanner in which we ascertain what our receipts shall be, and 

225 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

how much wc shall desire to spend. This involves a discussion 
of the city budget. 

The budget is the fiscal plan, the financial program. It is 
the table of expenditures which is pkiced before the appro- 
priating body, the city Council, just as any good housekeeper 
makes out her list of things to be bought, and money to buy 
them. In fact, the terms municipal finance or even political 
economy are derived from simple Latin and Cireek expressions 
meaning city housekeeping. 

Preparation of the Budget. — The first stej) in the prepara- 
tion of the city budget is to find out how much the various de- 
partments will need for the coming year. Perhaps as early as 
March, the Mayor requests of the heads of the various depart- 
ments estimates stating just how much will be required to run 
their departments for the next fiscal year. That is, the budget 
that is adopted in 1915 would properly be spoken of as the 1916 
budget. 

The various department heads each prepares his estimate of 
his probable needs and sends it in to the Mayor. Of course, 
the heads of departments are unable to determine exactly what 
will be needed; but by comparison with the expenditures of 
the year before and taking into account prospective changes, 
they are able to judge with some accuracy. Experience has 
taught them that they can expect to have their estimates cut 
down, so they are generally sure to ask for more than they 
actually expect to obtain. 

These estimates of probable expenditure, when sent to the 
Mayor, are combined by him into the city budget. He gen- 
erally revises the estimates. He may merely accept the depart- 
ment estimates and add them together, or he may send for the 
department heads and ask if certain items cannot be omitted. 
The Mayor, if he is a wise and forethoughtful man, then care- 
fully scans all details. For the budget is vital to the welfare of 
his city. All the activities in which the city will engage are 
stated therein. As a general rule, except in the case of flood or 
accident, nothing of an administrative nature will be done 
except what has been previously provided for in the budget. 

As the making of the budget concerns the people of the 
city, the Mayor should give the public an opportunity to be 
heard as to the details during its preparation. The more the 
public knows about the city's business the greater will be the 

' 226 



MUNICIPAL FINANCE 

people's interest in their city. Publicity is the greatest cure for 
municipal ills. The taxpayer contributes largely toward the 
city's expenses, and when he wishes he should be allowed a 
voice as to the manner of such expenditure. It is only within 
the last few years that the public has been invited to take part 
in making up the budget. Even now all our Mayors have not 
followed this practice. It is hoped that soon it will become a 
settled policy, and eventually become a custom. 

When the Mayor has made up the budget, he sends it to the 
legislative body of the city, the Council, where action is taken. 
Although, theoretically, Council has the right to change the 
provisions of the budget, as a matter of fact very little altera- 
tion is ever made. Council is legally given the power to de- 
crease any item, but not to increase it. The budget is adopted 
just as it comes from the Mayor. 

Until a few years ago the procedure as to passing the budget 
ended at this point. When once Council had passed the budget, 
the matter was settled, and the tax rate thereupon determined. 
Now the budget goes from the City Council to the County 
Budget Commission. 

The County Budget Commission. — ^The County Budget 
Commission is composed of the County Auditor, the County 
Prosecutor, and the County Treasurer. 

What is called the Smith Law provides that the Budget 
Commission may levy a tax for city purposes not to exceed 
five mills; for school purposes not to exceed five mills; and for 
county purposes not to exceed three mills. 

But the law specifies that the total shall not exceed ten 
mills. So that while the law allows the above maxima for the 
different purposes, it is the function of the County Budget 
Commission to cut down the estimates here and there, so that 
the combined budgets of the county and all the municipalities 
in the county shall not exceed the ten mills of the Smith Law in 
any community. 

The commission knows what the state levy will be, for that 
is fixed by law. It must, therefore, adjust the budgets of the 
other units. 

These adjusters can go into the details, and may reduce any 
or all of the items. To bring the amount of the budget within 
legal limits, they may simply make a uniform cut of a certain 
percentage from all the different funds. This method, though 

227 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

easy, is vei*\' bad, inasmuch as certain governmental functions 
are of more vital importance to the pubHc welfare than are 
others. Also, while some departments may be asking for only 
what is absolutely needed, others, knowing that their estimates 
probably will be cut. are asking for far more than their real re- 
quirements. 

The best method is carefully to study the needs of the differ- 
ent units, calling in the heads of the departments and finding 
out exactly which activities are indispensable and which can 
be omitted or limited without seriously injuring the efficiency 
of the government. The amount which is at last decided upon 
by this Budget Commission determines the city tax rate, unless 
it is raised by an "extra tax levy" through a favorable refer- 
^endum vote of the people. 

\ As can readily be seen, this system is apt to become entireh^ 
too rigid. With the steady increase in its activities, the city 
will need more and more money. In order to provide for this, 
the Smith Law states that if they so desire, the voters may raise 
the tax rate above the ten mills by referendum. They may 
not, howev^er, vote an extra tax levy which will bring the aggre- 
gate rate above fifteen mills for all purposes. 

So much for the way the budget is estimated and settled. 
We now have our program for the year completed. We have 
discovered how much we want to spend, and how we are going 
to spend it, and what our income will be. The next step is that 
the city Council appropriates by ordinance the money for six- 
month periods, beginning January first and July first. Before 
a department can spend any money, the Auditor must certif\- 
that funds are on hand, as appropriated by Council for that 
purpose. No money in hand, no spending. The next question 
to study is where to obtain the money. 

Sources of Revenue. — We have examined somewhat in de- 
tail how the city determines what money it shall spend. Let 
us now turn our attention to the sources of revenue by means 
of which the planned activities can be carried on next year. 

The city of Cincinnati obtains the greater portion of its 
revenue from five sources: Taxation, the liquor licenst% the 
public service corporations, the Cincinnati Southern Railway, 
and from fees and licenses. 

The greatest amount of revenue is always derived from the 

228 



MUNICIPAL FINANCE 

general property tax. In Ohio the machinery' for the collection 
of this tax is much as follows: 

According to the law passed in 1915, we find the County 
Auditor at the head; under his direction are assessors, one 
elected from each ward; the County Auditor may appoint as- 
sistant assessors. These make investigations and try to dis- 
cover and list all the taxable property held by the individuals 
within the city limits. They make a valuation of the property- 
of all those within their jurisdiction. The County Auditor is 
then given a list of all the properties. No matter how carefulh' 
the assessors may work, there are sure to be inequalities and 
complaints on the part of those who say that they have been 
assessed more than their just share. For this reason, a Board of 
Revision is provided. This board is composed of three men, 
appointed by the County Treasurer, the Prosecuting Attorney, 
the Probate Judge, and the President of the County Commis- 
sioners. Its function is to adjust the inequalities and mistakes 
made by the assessors. With the aid of experts, whom the\' 
are permitted to appoint, they adjust the list made out by the 
assessors and submit it to the County Auditor. 

Determination of the Tax Rate. — The next thing to consider 
is the tax rate. This is arrived at by taking the amount needed 
and dividing it by the total assessed amount of taxable property 
as listed on the duplicate. The quotient is the rate. The amount 
needed is determined in the manner already explained. 

The rate having now been determined, the County Auditor, 
to fix the amount that each person shall pay, simply multiplies 
the value of his property as returned for taxation by the rate. 
Each individual then pays his taxes to the County Treasurer, 
who turns the city's portion over to the City Treasurer. It is 
in this manner the most of our revenue is obtained. The annual 
tax may be paid in semi-annual installments, in June and De- 
cember, or annually, just as the taxpayer may " prefer. The 
general property tax amounted to $4,527,005.24 in 1914. 

Other Municipal Revenues. — Besides the general property 
tax, the largest revenue which the city obtains is from the 
Cincinnati Southern Railway. This railway, owned by the 
city, is 339 miles long, running to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It 
is leased to the operating company, and from the company the 
city derives a revenue. This revenue in 1914 amounted to 

229 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

<Sl, 219,050. The next largest source of revenue is from the 
Hquor Hcense, in 1914 amounting to §591,074.21. A goodly 
portion of our revenue, too, comes from the great pubHc utiHties. 
The Cincinnati street railway system pays to the city annually 
six per cent of its gross receipts. The Kentucky or "Green 
Line," too, pays for the use of our streets. The Gas Company 
and other large corporations pay licenses into the city treasury. 
The total franchise taxes receiv^ed in 1914 amounted to S336,- 
316.10. 

Fees and licenses form an important source of revenue. 
There are certain businesses which the city requires to pay a 
license fee for the privilege of continuing in operation. Every 
year the city collects a large sum from licenses on picture shows, 
theaters, billiard halls, employment agencies, bowling alleys, 
bill posters, auctioneers, itinerant vendors, street musicians, 
scavengers, and on vehicles and many others. 

Then, too, a small part of the city's money comes from various 
city institutions. The City Hospital has patients who pay; 
charitable institutions collect small sums. The University 
charges fees to non-residents, registration to all students 
ostensibly for use of the library, for laboratory breakages, for 
special lectures, and to cover cost of certain materials used. 

Bond Issues. — It sometimes happens that the city wishes 
to engage in some especially large undertaking, such as the 
construction of a new hospital, or a municipal market house, 
or the purchase of a park. In such cases, it is thought unde- 
sirable or is found impossible to burden the taxpayers with the 
immediate payment of the full amount. The money is there- 
fore borrowed. This is done by means of the sale of bonds on 
which the city pays a stipulated amount of interest. Lest 
cities become too extravagant, the State of Ohio places limita- 
tions on their borrowing power. In Cincinnati, the borrowing 
is limited to eight per cent of the total valuation of assessed 
property in the city. 

It is perfectly legitimate for the city to issue bonds and 
borrow money at interest for permanent improvements, such 
as public buildings, viaducts, etc., in which case tha length of 
term of the bonds should be no longer than the probable life 
of the improvement. But it is a great financial mistake, and 
may mean disaster to borrow money for current expenses or to 
issue bonds for a term of years longer than the life of the im- 

230 



MUNICIPAL FINANCE 



BONDED DEBT 
CITY OF CINCINNATI 

SELF SUPPORTINC • NOT SELF SUPPORTING 



provement. For, if these things arc clone, \vc burden future 
years with payment for current obligations for which the future 
payers will be deriving no benefit. There has been a growing 
tendency to issue bonds for current expenses, such as for street 
repairs. This procedure 
should be unqualifiedly 
condemned. x'\ll bond is- 
sues should be carefully 
considered before being 
approved, especially as 
we consider the increas- 
ing proportion of non-self- 
supporting debt, as shown 
by the graphic chart 
number 11. 

The Sinking Fund. — 
Since the city is allowed 
to borrow, it must also 
provide for the payment 
of the debts which it has 
contracted. For this rea- 
son, a sinking fund is pro- 
vided. This is merely a 
fund which the city lays 
aside and gradually in- 
creases, so as to pay off 
its debts when they be- 
come due. Every year 
the city puts a certain 
part of its income away; 
or, if the citizens so desire, 
it can levy a special sink- 
ing fund tax. In Cincin- 
nati, there are four sinking 
fund trustees, whose duty 
it is to see that these funds are properly invested and taken 
care of. (See also chapter XXI.) 

Municipal Financial Officers. — Let us now turn our atten- 
tion to the men who handle the city's money. 

The City Auditor is the head bookkeeper, 
to keep and audit the accounts of the city. 

2.^1 




iDEST SELF SUPPORTING 

I Debt not self supporting 



CHART II. 



His function is 
He checks the 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

expenditures of the other departments. All vouchers for pay- 
ment of expenses must be approved by him. 

Until late in the year 1913 the city's books of account were 
kept according to what is known as the single entry system. 
There was no accounting of sums due the city or of the city's 
property. Account was simply kept of cash receipts and of 
expenditures. In 1913 was introduced a double entry system 
corresponding in principle to those used in modern business 
houses, and which makes it possible to set out in detail the 
revenue and expenses, the assets and liabilities of the city. 
Cincinnati now keeps account of its property, of a great quantity 
of goods in its store houses, and of the amounts due to it. The 
city can now tell what it has, what it owes, what its expenses 
are, what its revenues should be, and to what extent they have 
been collected. 

The balance sheet of the state of Cincinnati's finances at 
the close of the year 1914 shows city assets to the amount of 
§145,258,283.08, with a surplus over all liabilities of $77,240,- 
715.74. 

The City Auditor's report for the year 1914 published the 
first complete detailed balance sheet for Cincinnati ever issued. 
Few American cities have progressed so far in their account 
keeping. 

The City Treasurer is the man who keeps the city's money. 
He is responsible for it. He is the banker, as it were, and gives 
out the money only on the written approval of the Auditor. 

The city keeps its money in various banks selected by the 
Treasurer. These banks must have a certain amount of se- 
curity, and also must pay a required rate of interest. A sub- 
stantial sum, however, must be kept in the treasury in the 
city hall for emergencies. 

We see, therefore, that the financial management of a city 
such as Cincinnati is not so very different after all from that of a 
business concern. The tendency of the times is to demand that 
the city be run on a thoroughly economical and scientific basis. 

With segregated budgets (budgets showing details of ex- 
penditures for various purposes), made after public discussion; 
with accurate and intelligible accounts open to all the citizens; 
and, above all, with the active cooperation and intelligent in- 
terest of the public, our city finances should finally measure 
up to the standards of the best managed business enterprises. 

232 



The Future City 



CHAPTER XXII 
City Planning 

WHAT IT MEANS TO THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CITY 

Cincinnati is sometliing more than a home for its 400,000 
inhabitants. It is the center of social activity for a vast region. 
From Cleveland to the north, St. Louis to the west, Atlanta 
to the south, and Pittsburgh to the east, it is "the city" to the 
entire population. Across the United States Cincinnati is con- 
sidered as one of the most important cities of the nation, not 
only important now, but rich in expectation of growth, and rich 
also in tradition. Here converge the principal railways of the 
Mid-west; here are transhipped the goods of the North and thc^ 
l)roducts of the South. The farmers, orchardists, manufac- 
turers, consumers, and livestock husbandmen of a vast region 
depend on Cincinnati for exchange and barter. 

Cincinnati, therefore, is largely a national custodian. It is 
obligated to its own people, of course. But these people, in- 
dividually and collectively, owe a duty to the general mass of 
the people in every part of the land. Cincinnati is a member ot 
a larger body, each member related to the other, just as each 
part of the city itself is a member of the body, which is the whole 
city. 

As city planning for Cincinnati demands lofty social vision, 
a sense of local civic solidarity, and "social consciousness" on 
the part of each citizen, so the larger planning and the broader 
conception call for a national social consciousness and a sense 
of solidarity. The act of regarding Cincinnati as owing a duty 
to surrounding regions invests it with an immensely larger value 
and significance than if it merely had to work and plan for its 
own selfish interests. 

City planning, then, must be a part of "state planning." 
and state planning is a part of national, even world-wide 
planning. 

There must be attention to the cit\- and rural regions as 
interrelated. Between the overdensity of the city and the 
ultra isolation of the rural regions there must be some sort of a 

235 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

compromise, bringing the city conveniences to the country 
and the country advantages to the cit3\ 

Country planning is quite as necessary as city planning. 
Both city and country life have serious drawbacks. Indeed, 
the country first developed the disadvantages. It was in the^ 
chase after a betterment of a condition that the rush to the 
cities ensued. The country regions were thus robbed of their 
normal numbers. This has caused overgrowth, a mere accre- 
tion, rather than evolution, to the higher forms in the city. 
Size and growth of population became the chief aim. 

City organizations have spent millions to induce enormous^ 
influxes into their particular cities. Population rather than 
quality of city development was the slogan. There never was^ 
a regime less reasonable. It was a riot of extravagant claims, 
uneconomic "boosting," and a dishonest covering up of a city's 
deficiencies. In the mere transfer of people from one place to 
another, by some legerdemain, good was thought to accrue, 
regardless of whether there was social need of such a transfer. 

Happily, we have reached a period of saner thinking. Prob- 
lems appalling have grown in our piled up, crude, unplanned, 
uneconomic cities. Misery and suffering have ensued. The 
cost of living has increased. Men and women now realize that 
quality, not size, is the desideratum. We think now not in the 
terms of hundreds of thousands of population, but in terms of 
municipal efficiency. We are not seeking a Cincinnati of a 
million people. Rather we are sensing the grave responsibilities 
of Cincinnati as the home of 400,000 human beings, adjacent 
to municipalities in which live 200,000 more, and the center of 
a region of 5,000,000 more. We are seeking to make Cincinnati 
so efficient that it can discharge these responsibilities. 

Production and distribution are the basic functions of all 
life. Production has been placed on the road to economic 
evolution. Our largest wastes are in distribution. The city is 
an essential factor in the process of distribution. Food products 
often increase in cost enormously between arrival in a cit\" 
terminal and delivery at the consumer's home. This increase 
in cost lays too heavy a burden on the people. City planning 
will be wise only when these principles are recognized. An> 
other kind of city planners will be insufficient, superficial; mere 
patchers of broken machines, instead of men and women ol 
big ideas who labor for genuine good. 

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CITY PLANNING 

City planning begins at the needs and rights of the people. 
It will end only when these needs and rights shall have been 
thoroughly established. 

City planning is common sense, science, and forethought 
■applied to the building and improvement of cities. 

Why Needed. — City planning is needed because Cincinnati, 
in common with all our American cities, has grown beyond its 
facilities; because the city was laid out as a small town, and 
later has been built haphazard, and is not an economic machine 
for the transaction of the people's business; because, therefore, 
it is not as convenient and comfortable a home as it should be 
for the 400,000 persons who live here; and because it may be 
thereby rendered more ideal as a municipal home. 

What Cincinnati Has Done.— Cincinnati has accomplished 
much in preparation for scientific city planning. 

In 1912 and 1913 it made a comprehensive topographical 
survey, which is the first scientific step towards true city plan- 
ning. This survey cost $70,000, and is one of the most complete 
ever made by any city. During this same period it prepared 
for a comprehensive extension and improvement of its sewer 
system according to the latest scientific way of sanitary en- 
gineering. 

Cincinnati has recently planned a needed extension and 
improvement of its water supply system, including a high- 
pressure installation for the business district. 

It has projected the installation of a rapid transit system. 

It has partially prepared for the creation of an adequate 
water transportation and water terminal system. 

It has also determined to have protection against the annual 
losses caused by the flood waters of the Ohio River. 

It has considered and determined to have a scientific and 
adequate railroad terminal system. 

And it has already planned and begun to develop a mag- 
nificent park, boulevard, and playground system which, when 
advanced to even the stage of partial completion, will give the 
people one of the most useful of its kind in the world. 

Mention is made above of several "systems," the "sewer 
system," the "water system," etc. Heretofore work on and 
preparation for extensions and improvements of existing facil- 
ities, or the creation of new facilities, has proceeded more by a 
general plan which took in the city as a whole, but still by 

237 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

virtually independent municipal agencies. These have worked 
and planned much as though they were isolated bodies not 
related to each other as parts of a municipal organism demand- 
ing close cooperation and coordination. Therefore Cincinnati 
has needed to create the agencies w-hich will bring all these 
municipal works into harmony. 

The City Planning Commission. — The first thing needed is 
a City Planning Commission. The statute enacted by the Legis- 
lature at Columbus, Thursday, May 27, 1915, empowers the 
governments of all Ohio cities to appoint such commissions. 
The new law becomes effective January 1, 1916. It provides 
the following: 

The Council of each municipality may establish a City 
Planning Commission consisting of seven members, the Mayor, 
the Director of Public Service, the President of the Board of 
Park Commissioners, and four citizens of the municipality, who 
shall serve without compensation. 

The powers and duties of the commission shall be to make 
plans and maps of the whole or any portion of such municipality, 
and of any land outside the municipality which, in the opinion 
of the commission, bears relation to the planning of the mu- 
nicipality, and to make changes in such plans or maps when it 
deems the same advisable. Such maps or plans shall show the 
commission's recommendations for new streets, alleys, ways, 
viaducts, bridges, subways, parkways, parks, playgrounds, or 
any other public grounds or public improvements; and the- 
removal, relocation, widening, or extension of such public 
works then existing. With a view to the systematic planning of 
the municipalities, the commission may make recommendations 
to the Mayor, Council, and department heads concerning the 
location of streets, transportation and communication facilities, 
public buildings and grounds. 

The commission shall have the power to control, preserve, 
and care for historical landmarks; to control, in the manner pro- 
vided by ordinance, the design and location of statuary and 
other works of art which are or may become the property of 
the municipality; and the removal, relocation, and alteration 
of any such works belonging to the municipality; the design of 
harbors, bridges, viaducts, street fixtures, and other public 
structures and appurtenances. 

Whenever the commission shall have made a plan for the 

238 



CITY PLANNING 

municipality, or any portion thereof, no public building, street, 
boulevard, parkway, park, playground, public ground, canal, 
river front, harbor, dock, wharf, bridge, viaduct, tunnel, utility 
(whether publicly or privately owned), or part thereof shall be 
constructed or altered unless approved by the commission; pro- 
vided that, in case of disapproval, the commission shall com- 
municate its reasons for disapproval to Council and the depart- 
ment head of the department which has control of the construc- 
tion of the proposed improvement or utility; and Council, by a 
vote of not less than two-thirds of its members, and such de- 
partment head shall together have the power to overrule such 
disapproval. The narrowing, ornamentation, vacation, or 
change in the use of streets and other public ways, grounds, and 
places shall be subject to similar approval; and disapproval may 
be similarly overruled. The commission may make recom- 
mendations to any public authorities or to any corporations or 
individuals in such municipality or the territory contiguous 
thereto concerning the location of any buildings, structures, or 
works to be erected or constructed by them. 

The commission shall be the platting commission of the 
municipality. The platting of all subdivisions shall be subject 
to its approval. This will make it possible to secure proper 
laying out of streets and proper relation of the highways in new 
subdivisions to those of the adjacent sections of the city. 

Council may authorize the commission to control the height, 
design, and location of buildings. 

The appointment of a City Planning Commission marks 
the beginning of a new era in the development of Cincinnati. 
The law of May 27, 1915, is one of the best ever drawn in the 
United States. The citizens of Cincinnati should make them- 
.selves familiar with the exact degree of power granted to the 
commission under its terms. 

The Development of Public Spirit. — ^In addition to the cre- 
ation of the City Planning Commission, Cincinnati needs the 
development of a public spirit which will demand comprehensive 
planning, a look into a long future. Cincinnati, as all our cities, 
must build for the future. Cincinnati owes to itself its most 
earnest attention to the social needs of generations yet unborn, 
of its youth soon to become its citizens, and of the persons who 
at this time are not counted as its residents. 

True scientific city planning, therefore, will take into ac- 

239 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

count the future as well as the present. It will seek to correct 
any distressing conditions which, in future years, would prevent 
the attainment of highest efficiency by the people. 

The creation of these two agencies — a City Planning Com- 
mission and an insistent public opinion^ — will pave the way for 
true city planning. They will insure that Cincinnati shall fulfill 
its duty to the present and the future. 

City Planning Should Be Continuous. — City planning for 
Cincinnati should never end so long as human lives depend on 
its ministrations to its comfort and needs. However, proper 
city planning will involve a working towards a tentative, com- 
prehensive plan for development — -a plan which will be plastic, 
a growing thing, evolving as the city ev'olves, always taking 
into account changed conditions, as well as the discoveries and 
inventions of experts. 

This plan, tentatively agreed upon, will be the subject of 
constant study. It will be a better plan twenty years hence 
than it will be ten years hence, just as the first comprehensive 
plan adopted will be better than the no-plan procedure of the 
past. 

In the immediate future, then, proper city planning in Cin- 
cinnati will involve a special study of all the elements of the 
present life of the community; the physical characteristics, the 
commercial needs of the present and the future, the industrial 
demands, the financial resources, the social conditions and needs. 
These will be studied on the principle that all of them must be 
joined in an intelligent, scientific " system " which shall take 
into its scope all the several "systems" which heretofore have 
been too generally regarded as separate works to be constructed 
or developed as independent municipal studies. 

Fundamental Principles. — As this comprehensive study pro- 
ceeds, a few fundamental principles must be kept in mind: 

Our national increase of population has been mostly in our 
cities in late decades. 

Between 1900 and 1910 of the total population increase, 
70 per cent was in urban communities, and only 30 per cent in 
rural regions. 

As mechanical inxentions have increased in number, this 
urban population proportion has rapidly increased. This has 
brought on us as a nation many problems. These problems may 
be grouped under the general heading of congestion; that is, 

240 



CITY PLANNING 

the drawing of so inan>- persons from the countr\- into city 
centers has induced a to(i high degree of concentration, a going 
beyond the Hmit of economic density of population and traflfic. 
In modern industrial life, economists recognize that there is a 
point beyond which concentration becomes congestion. Con- 
gestion means fe\ers and Avastes and losses in cities or industries, 
as well as in human life. Congestion in the human body brings 
physical disorders. Exactly on that same principle congestion 
in the urban body induces abnormalities and civic disorders. 
This is demonstrated by the feverish life which characterizes 
the modern urban community; the denial by the modern city 
to the citizen of the prime essentials of normal li\"ing, which 
are: 

Enough land on which to live, work, and play. 

Enough light and air and the means of sanitation to keep 
human beings wholesome. 

Normal comradeship, normal recreation, and a fair chance 
in the world for every man. woman, and child. 

What City Planning Should Provide. — City planning for 
Cincinnati, then, must seek to provide for Cincinnatians these 
prime essentials. It will be necessary to plan the creation of 
new devices and the remaking of existing devices, to the end 
that there shall be an avoidance of overcrowding of persons and 
commercial and industrial utilities, so as to prevent and cure 
congestion. 

To this end, true city planning will seek to diffuse popula- 
tion where congestion exists or is threatened, so that every 
citizen may have the fundamental essentials he requires .in 
order to live the happiest and most helpful life, and best to 
serve his da>' and generation, and the generations yet unborn. 

City Planning Is Evolutionary. — Intelligent city planning 
for Cincinnati does not mean revolutionary procedure; not the 
sudden tearing down of the existing order. Iconoclasm is not 
city planning. City planning is evolutionary, constructive. It 
sees in Cincinnati a constant change; and it seeks to direct that 
growth in an orderly manner and according to scientific methods. 

It begins with the economic life, and on that foundatioii 
builds towards an ideal sociological order. Then its purposes 
to superimpose the aesthetic — ^on the principle that art is order, 
and that true municipal and social art needs order and econom\- 
as their basis. It knows of no better expression of this princi- 

241 



THE CITIZENS BOOK 

pic than this: "You should not seek to lay a robe of heaiiiN 
over a body of ugliness." 

And Cincinnati, in spite of its wonderfully picturescjue pos- 
sibilities, in common with all our cities, has not avoided the 
ugliness which was inevitably produced by the helter-skelter, 
haphazartl, unplanned growth of the past. 

Future Possibilities. — True city planning, as the years pass 
by, will bring order into this state of partial chaos. It will cure 
the congestions, difluse the population, give proper housing con- 
ditions, easier methods for doing business, and make of Cin- 
cinnati a better place in which to live, work, and play; and, 
taking advantage of the unique lay of the land and the presence 
of the Ohio River, make her at the same time one of the beautiful 
cities of the world. 



242 



